Top Paper Shredders of 2020 – Reviews and Guide

If you deal with sensitive or privileged documents, you need to dispose of them properly. How do you do this? With a paper shredder. Looking for such a shredder? Here are the top paper shredders of 2020! 

Things To Consider When Purchasing a New Paper Shredder

The most important features of a paper shredder are:

  • The number of pages it can shred at one time;
  • The number of cross-cut particles per page;
  • Continuous running time;
  • Cool down time between runs;
  • Shredding credit cards, CDs and staples;
  • Anti jam technology.

Like almost any product, prices vary from cheap to expensive. And like almost any product, you get what you pay for. The right paper shredder for your needs will do a great job and last a long time.

Choosing the wrong paper shredder can slow down your work and force you to replace it when it jams up and breaks the blades or burns out the motor.

AmazonBasics 12-Sheet High-Security Micro-Cut Paper, CD, and Credit Card Shredder with Pullout Basket

This AmazonBasics micro-cut shredder has a 12-sheet capacity; destroys credit cards, CDs, and DVDs. It shreds paper into tiny pieces (5/32 by 15/32 inches) at a rate of 6 feet per minute. That is 6 times smaller than standard cross-cut. For example, standard cross cut will turn an 8 1/2 X 11 piece of paper into 360 pieces. This shredder turns that same piece of paper into 2.235 pieces.

It has an 8 minute continuous run time with 45 minute cool down time. That’s a long cool down period when you have a lot to shred. Auto start and manual reverse to clear paper jams. It comes with AmazonBasics 1-year Limited Warranty.

Cross-cut particles size: 5/32″ x 15/32″

Shredder size:  24.29″ H x 17.01″ W x 13.39″ D

Weight: 25.8 lbs. No casters.

Noise Level: 65 db (As loud as laughter)

Price Range: Medium

Fellowes Powershred W-11C

Fellowes Powershred W-11C is an affordable, medium use model that can be used at home or in the office. It can cross-cut shred up to 11 sheets of paper in one go and can handle staples and credit cards. Even if the model is advertised as a medium duty model it can handle large volumes, but for only 5 minutes of continuous use. Then it needs to cool down.

It comes with a large wastebasket that will not need to be emptied too often. As a safety measure the model cannot be switched on when lifted off the wastebasket, which is a common feature. It comes with a 1-year product and service warranty plus a 3-year cutter warranty.

Cross-cut particle size: 5/32 x 1-3/8″ (Security Level P-4)

Shredder size: 20.88″ H x 16.88″ W x 15″ D

Weight: 14 lbs. No casters.

Noise Level: 72 db (As loud as a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer)

Price Range: Low

Fellowes 79Ci

The Fellowes 79Ci is a heavy duty shredder with a large capacity and a generous wastebasket. It can cross cut up to 16 sheets of paper in one pass and comes with an ultra-quiet shredding system. Fellowes 100% Jam Proof System eliminates paper jams.

The model also comes with the typical Fellows energy saving system and a standard start/stop feature as well as reverse that makes it easy to take out jammed paper. It has a 20 minute run time before cool down is needed. This Fellowes paper shredder comes with a 2-year product and service warranty plus lifetime cutter warranty.

Cross-cut particles size: 5/32” x 1-1/2” (Security Level P-4)

Shredder size: 21.31″ H x 15.38″ W x 10.44″ D

Weight: 44.5 lbs. Comes with casters for easy moving.

Noise Level: 54 db (As loud as normal conversation)

Price Range: Medium

Bonsaii DocShred C156-D

Bonsaii C156-D is a simple and affordable shredder. The model has a modest capacity wastebasket and high performance cutting blades that can handle up to 12 sheets at a time and can cut through credit cards and CDs.

Like most other shredders it comes with an auto start/stop feature and a standard manual reverse function that can be used to get the paper our when jammed or whenever it is required. It does have a thermal protection system to protect motor from overheating. The warranty of this unit is 12 months.

Cross-cut particles size: 5/32″ x 15/32″ (micro cut)

Shredder size: 15.8″ H x 14.8″ W x 9″ D

Weight: 14 lbs. No casters

Noise Level: 72 db (As loud as a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer)

Price Range: Low

Aurora AS890C

Aurora AS890C is an extremely affordable shredder that was built mainly for regular home users that do not have large volumes of sensitive documents to dispose of on a daily basis. It has an 8 sheet capacity and comes with a cross-cut feature. The model is solid enough to handle credit cards and can deal with paper clips and even staples.

It has a manual reverse mode can come in handy to clear a temporary paper jam. In case of heavy use, the shredder also features thermal overload protection to keep the unit from overheating. The model has a decent paper 125 sheet wastebasket and a reverse mode.

Cross-cut particles size: 3/16″ x 3/16″

Shredder size: 16″ H x 12″ W x 7″ D

Weight: 9.3 lbs. No casters.

Noise Level: We could not find the noise level

Price Range: Low

Fellowes 99Ci

Fellowes 99Ci is a professional shredder that was built for heavy duty usage. It can shred up to 18 sheets of paper in one go and can handle large volumes at once. The model was designed with a 100% jam proof system that makes it capable of dealing with tough jobs. It comes with an auto start/stop switch and a reverse function.

It has a 30 minutes continuous run time before a 40 minute cool down time is needed. The model is a bit more expensive but it offers premium reliability and performance. It comes with a  2 year product warranty and 5 year cutter warranty.

Cross-cut particles size: 5/32″ x 1-1/2″ (Security Level P-4)

Shredder size: 25.19″ H x 17.31″ W x 11.44″ D

Weight: 31.75 lbs. Come with Casters for easy moving.

Noise Level: 56 db (As loud as normal conversation)

Price Range: Medium

Bonsaii EverShred C149-C

This shredder from Bonsaii can hold up to 6 gallons of  paper at one time. Capable of shredding paper, CDs, and credit cards, it slices through items with absolute ease.

It runs for up to 60 minutes at a time, making only a small amount of noise along the way. Whether you need a shredder for your home or your office, this is a good option for you.

Cross-cut particles size: 1/5″ x 1-50/87″ (Security Level P-4)

Shredder size: 14.21″ x 11.18″ W x 21.5″

Weight: 28 pounds

Noise Level: Whisper like noise level during shredding

Price Range: Medium

SimplyShred PSC418D

SimplyShred PSC418D is one of the models that is designed for heavy use. The model is recommended for office environments that need to deal with large volumes of paper. It has a quiet motor and decent capacity as well as a large wastebasket.

The model comes with durable steel blades that can cut CDs, staples or credit cards as well as 18 sheets of paper at once. Its run time is 5 minutes with a 40 minute cool down. We were not able to find the warranty. We think manufacturers should be proud of their warranty and not hide it.

Cross-cut particles size: Security Level 3, which means its cross-cut pieces are slightly larger than the shredders in this review with Security Level 4.

Shredder size: 25″ H x 14.5″ W x 11″ D

Weight: 26 lbs. Comes with casters for easy moving.

Noise Level: 58 dB (As loud as normal conversation)

Price Range: Medium

Royal 120X Cross Cut Shredder

Royal 120X is a medium duty shredder that comes with a decent capacity and a convenient cross cut shred. It is excellent for the ones that need to dispose of extremely sensitive documents and due to its reliable construction the model can handle up to 11 sheets in one pass.

It is powerful enough to shred credit cards and it comes with an auto start/stop feature. In case it gets jammed the model includes a reverse feature. It has a quiet operation. Casters make it easy to move around.

Cross-cut particles size: 5/32″ x 1 1/8″

Shredder size: 17.2″ H x 16.06″ W x 11.89″ D

Weight: 16 lbs. Comes with casters for easy moving.

Noise LevelUltra Quiet 

Price Range: Low

Fellowes Powershred 225Ci

The Fellowes Powershred 225Ci is a commercial grade work-horse with non-stop premium paper shredding, and it’s priced that way. This premium shredder has a large wastebasket capacity and powerful cutting blades. It can handle to 20 sheets of paper in one go and turns them into confetti due to the cross-cut setup.

This machine also safely shreds CDs/DVDs, credit cards, staples, paper clips and junk mail. The Powershred 225 Ci uses a new energy saving system and it is extremely quiet. This bad boy weighs 93 lbs, so it’s a good thing it comes on casters. If you’re serious about shredding large quantities of papers, this Fellowes Powershred 225 Ci is for you.

Cross-cut particles size: 5/32″ x 1-1/2″ (Security Level P-4)

Shredder size: 31.75″ H x 17.13″ W x 31.75″ D

Weight: 93 lbs. Comes with casters for easy moving.

Noise Level: Ultra-Quiet

Price Range: High

When it comes to choosing a shredder it is important to have a good estimation of how much paper it will need to handle. Regular users can go for models that are a bit more affordable while the ones that need one for an office environment will need to spend extra money.

Our list of the top 10 Paper Shredders of 2020 includes models from all price categories, making it easy for anyone to find a suitable paper shredder.

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