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The best shredders do a lot more than just tear a few sheets of paper into strips. They're essential tools in the office and home office, letting you securely shred masses of data-sensitive documents, old credit cards, even chewing through staples without breaking pace. 

Today's top shredders are more compacter and quieter, while shredding paper, plastics, and metals into even smaller pieces for greater data security and protection. If you're security-conscious or need to stay compliant, a shredder is a must-have. But what makes a good shredder for the home and office? 

Our team of hardware experts have tested everything from the best printers to the best business laptops - so we know what to look for and what you need to avoid when choosing a new shredder. During our review process, we've compared the specs, size, and shredding speed, noting sheet-capacity, noise-levels, and which materials the device is capable of shredding to bits. 

Best shredder overall

1. Fellowes Powershred 79Ci Paper shredder

Excellent large capacity shredder for home offices

Specifications

Size: 26.5 x 39 x 54.2 cm

Weight: 28.2lb

Features: 100% jam proof, continuous shredding

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

The Fellowes Powershred 79Ci Paper shredder has a 6-gallon (23l) capacity and is an excellent choice all-round for the office and home. It uses a cross-cut mechanism to slice and dice anything you feed into it in two ways for maximum security. Realize that this model has P4 protection, which will cross-cut a standard piece of 8.5” x 11” paper into about 400 pieces, each about 5/32 x 1-½ ”, which is suitable for highly confidential documents, but not the highest level of security, namely Top Secret. 

One of the best things about this model is that it is 100% jam-proof, so you will never have to wrestle with it to pull out paper that has got stuck. It is designed not to reverse but to increase the power of the motor through. Along with writing, the shredder can destroy plastic cards and CDs and handle paper clips and staples, enhancing efficiency as they do not need to be removed as a separate step. It is also designed to handle junk mail, which is quite satisfying to put the entire intact envelope in and have it shredded as a single step without the need to open and process each page separately.

It also packs SafeSense Technology that immediately disables the unit if anybody’s fingers, or even a pet, get dangerously close to its internal components, making it a suitable option for home offices. It has a max sheet input of 16 sheets, double what you will find on most budget variants. Also, the maximum runtime is a solid 20 minutes, with a 30-minute cool-down time, designed to be energy efficient. Finally, we like the two-year machine warranty, with a lifetime on the cutter, and the low noise impact due to the SilentShred feature.

Best home shredder

2. Bonsaii Evershred model C149-C18

A good all-purpose paper shredder

Specifications

Size: 36 x 28.5 x54.5cm

Weight: 16.8lbs

Features: 60 minutes continuous shredding, low noise

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

With up to a 30-minute running time, the Bonsaii Evershred can shred 3500 sheets of A4 paper on a single charge, making it a great option to chew through all the documents you have been waiting to dispose of. Like the Fellowes shredder at the top of our list, it has a maximum of 14 sheets shredding capacity and cuts paper into tiny 5mm x 50mm particles – and it will even shred credit cards, CDs, and staples. 

This model features a jam protection system with autostart and autoreverse, which saves you from dealing with the frustration of paper jams, and its 17-liter pull-out bin, while not class-leading, is plenty sufficient. There's an overheat and overload protection technology to protect the shredder's blades and motor and extend its life. Not to mention, the low-noise design presents a quiet and peaceful shredding experience. 

Overall, given the features, we think this model from Bonsaii represents a good value for a home user that needs to shred more than average. 

Best budget shredder

3. Amazon Basics 8-Sheet High-Security Micro-Cut Shredder

Excellent value shredder

Specifications

Size: 22.6 x 32.9 x 49.5 cm

Weight: 17.24 lbs

Features: 8 sheets

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

Amazon Basics items tend to prioritize value over top-end performance, so keeping that in mind, this shredder from Amazon fulfills that mission. It checks plenty of boxes that buyers like, including cross-cut shreds that are 4 x 12 mm- small enough to meet the P4 standard. We also like the 4-gallon bin, the dedicated credit card slot, and that it sits on four casters, making it easy to move when needed.

However, remember that this comes in at a lower cost than some higher specced competitors. This includes that this shredder is limited to only eight sheets at a time to process fewer documents simultaneously. We also think the relatively short runtime of 5 minutes, with a 30-minute cool down in between, is also limiting. It also does feature a transparent window to know when to empty the bin.

Overall, this Amazon Basics model is certainly worth a look for a home user who needs the destruction of documents but at a lower price point than some other models and can tolerate the lower sheet rating and shorter runtime.

Best shredder for security

4. Bonsaii DocShred C261

High security rating shredder

Specifications

Size: 31.4x38.9x18.9cm

Weight: 11lbs

Features: Auto start/stop, 5.5 gallon waste bin, transparent window

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

Capable of destroying multi-page documents up to six pages at a time, this shredder is a tremendous security-conscious shredder for any home office. It has a high P-4 security rating and can destroy staples, clips, ATM receipts, credit card bills, and even CDs with a 4 x 12 mm micro-cut pattern.  

 Its motor kicks into action once its light sensor detects something to be shredded, and a reverse mode lets you easily unblock jams. Its 4.2-gallon (21l) bin is an ideal size for preventing the need for frequent trips to the bin. It has a limit of only six pages at a time, and the 4-minute runtime is shorter than most, but this is not a problem if you only shred occasionally. 

The DocShred doesn't operate too fast but keeps in mind the price point. It may be slow if you have to shred hundreds of sheets, but it should get the job done just fine if you're only doing a few dozen sheets at a time.

Best shredder for basics

5. Robert Dyas 6-sheet Cross-Cut paper Shredder

Versatile paper shredder

Specifications

Size: 39 x 16.4 x 31cm

Weight: 8.8lbs

Features: Overheat protection, 15L basket volume

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

This compact and affordable shredder can cut paper lengthways and widthways, making it harder to read personal information once it has been shredded. Its adequately sized 15-inch mesh bin stores plenty of waste, and you can shred up to 6 sheets at a time without worry of it overheating, thanks to the automated overheating protection. The Robert Dyas 6-sheet shredder can shred credit cards too, but it struggles if the sheets are too thick. 

The shredder has a two-minute shred cycle that then powers off to reset. It packs many of the regular features that you will find on a shredder, including auto shutdown, a reverse function for unblocking paper jams, and an access handle for easy transportation. 

This inexpensive and premium-looking shredder is also relatively quiet, making it suitable for home use.

Best shredders: Frequently asked questions

What is a shredder?

Paper shredders are devices for cutting paper into thin strips or tiny particles. These machines are generally used to destroy sensitive documents, with some of the best shredders able to shred credit cards, optical discs, and minor metals like staples or paperclips. 

What are the types of shredders?

It is easiest to divide shredders into the types of cuts that they make. This then determines the level of destruction of the document, and also how expensive the device will be.

At the lowest level is the strip cut shredder. This design tends to be efficient at cutting paper into approximately ¼” strips. However, the downside is that this is the lowest level of destruction, and the easiest to put back together, so it is not appropriate for sensitive documents.

In the middle of shredder designs is the cross cut shredder. This type of model chops the paper into small strips, into about 200 pieces for a standard piece of paper for a P3 model. This is a more secure method of paper destruction, and far harder to reconstruct.

One step even better is a micro cut shredder. This follows a similar pattern than a cross cut, but the pieces are even smaller, as small as 3/32” wide for the P5 standard, which makes it extremely difficult if not impossible to reconstruct. This type of model is appropriate for more secure of documents. 

Yes, there even is a P6 standard which creates even smaller pieces for the complete destruction of the most sensitive documents. The pieces created are as small as 3/64” wide by 15/64” long which are really quite tiny. 

How to choose the best shredder for you

To choose the best shredder for yourself, you’ll first want to consider what your regular shredding requirements are. 

If you need to destroy large piles of documents, you’ll want a shredder that can cut up multiple sheets at once as that will determine how efficiently the job can get done. Furthermore, depending on the number of documents you have to eliminate, you’ll want to check the shredder’s run-time and cooling down-time. If you have a need to shred a larger number of documents, this will often come into play. Be aware that nNot all shredders can run continuously for 30-45 minutes, particularly those intended for the home market and sold at alower price point, as some can only run for 2-10 minutes before they will completely stop, and need a cooldown period of 15-30 minutes before shredding can resume. 

While most shredders can work through paper, there are some that can destroy credit cards and CDs too. If you often need to destroy these materials, pick a suitable shredder for the task. They typically will have a dedicated slot for handling these non-paper items. You’ll also want to consider the shredder’s noise levels. If it’s too noisy, it may not be suitable for home use, or it may interfere with meetings or phone calls at the office. 

How we test the best shredders

Our team of experts have tested loads of office and home office devices, including the best business printers, the best digital copiers, and the best fax machines for staying connected to customers and clients. 

But whether we're analyzing speeds of the best scanners, or comparing specs on shredders, we take the same rigorous approach to all. 

We tested various shredders to arrive at our choices for the best ones. We looked at multiple aspects of their design and functionality, starting with how swiftly they work through documents, how many sheets they can cut simultaneously, and how long their running and cooling down times are. 

We considered what materials they could destroy, whether there were safety mechanisms to prevent finger injuries and the waste bin size. We also assessed the shredder's noise, size, and weight to judge whether it’d be suited for home use or office use, among other aspects. Finally, we considered the cost and the value at the price point for its intended mission in the market. 

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