REASONS TO BUY
High security
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Slow
Loud
Can't shred CDs
Amazon Basics 6-Sheet Micro-Cut Review
A decent choice if you don't shred often but want the highest security
Credit: Amazon
RELATED: Best Paper Shredder of 2024
Our Verdict
If you generally don't shred more than a few pages per day but want those documents to be shredded into the most secure, tiny bits, the Amazon Basics 6-Sheet Micro-Cut can do the job for an attractively low price. For the vast amount of people who really only need to shred things like credit card statements and medical forms, or credit cards themselves, things that aren't many pages but can contain some very sensitive information, this combination of low-price and high-security is a perfect choice.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Amazon Basics 6-Sheet Micro-Cut | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Bang for the Buck | Best on a Tight Budget | |||
| Price | $57 List $44.50 at Amazon | $74 List | $77 List $76.29 at Amazon | $56 List | $40 List $34.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | As long as you don't shred large stacks of documents and don't need to shred CDs, this model will serve you well | A paper shredder that offers high security micro-cutting, helpful indicator lights and an easy to empty waste bin | A great household paper shredder that is small, intuitive, fast and budget-friendly | For the majority of home offices, this model is both a great choice and a great value | It's small and inexpensive, but the overall performance and lack of robustness have us preferring other models |
| Rating Categories | Amazon Basics 6-She... | Amazon Basics 8-She... | Aurora AU1230XA Ant... | Amazon Basics 8-She... | Bonsaii 6-Sheet Cro... |
| Shredding Quality (40%) | |||||
| Speed (35%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
| Noise (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Amazon Basics 6-She... | Amazon Basics 8-She... | Aurora AU1230XA Ant... | Amazon Basics 8-She... | Bonsaii 6-Sheet Cro... |
| Advertised Sheet Capacity | 6 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 6 |
| Measured Sheet Capacity | 6 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 8 |
| Bin Capacity | 4.1 gallons | 4 gallons | 5.2 gallons | 4.1 gallons | 3.4 gallons |
| Maximum Sheets per Minute | 42 | 114 | 168 | 96 | 48 |
| Shred Type | Micro-Cut | Micro-Cut | Cross-Cut | Cross-Cut | Cross-Cut |
| Shred Size | 5/32" x 15/32" | 5/32" x 15/32" | 3/16" x 1-9/16" | 3/16" x 1-27/32" | 1-25/32'' x 1/5'' |
| Dimensions | 7.5 x 12.5 x 16 | 8.9" x 12.95" x 19.49" | 13.31" x 8.46" x 15.87 | 12.8" x 7.3" x 15.9" | 14.1" x 11.8" x 7" |
| Weight | 10.0 lbs | 17.2 Ibs | 13.1 Ibs | 8.3 lbs | 6.3 lbs |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Amazon 6-Sheet is an inexpensive micro-cut option. It doesn't have the power for large shredding jobs or for shredding CDs, but if you're shredding jobs are occasional 10-page documents and a credit card here and there, it provides good security at a great price. Mostly due to its low capacity and somewhat shrill noise, this shredder is one of the lower overall scorers in our testing. However, we still think it's a great choice for more casual use. In the sections below, we detail how it performed in all of our individual tests.
Performance Comparison
This budget-friendly shredder is perfect for general household use.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Shredding Quality
The Amazon 6-Sheet ended up with an average score in this metric but overall, we enjoyed using it. It provides the heightened security of micro-cut but is somewhat held back by its low capacity. It was capable of handling stacks as large as its claimed six sheets with relative ease. We even put an eight-sheet stack through with no jamming. However, it did struggle with thicker items like junk mail envelopes. You'd be better off opening up those envelopes and unfolding the paper inside before you shred them. It does have enough power to cut through a credit card, which is one shredding item that really benefits from the additional security of micro-cut. However, it cannot shred CDs, something its main competitors can do. If you don't tend to shred CDs, this obviously isn't a big deal, but it can be nice to have the option.
The AmazonBasics 6-Sheet Cross-Cut has a handle and a slot for credit cards.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Overall, the Amazon 6-Sheet has high security for small shredding jobs with its micro-cut pattern. However, if you tend to shred more than 10 pages multiple times a week, you'll likely enjoy the speed benefits of a more expensive, larger model.
Speed
As we mentioned above, this is a fairly low-capacity shredder. Because of this, it was also one of the slower models, working through just 42 sheets per minute in our testing. We certainly wouldn't want to shred any very long documents with this shredder, but it's plenty fast enough for a few pages here and there.
Ease of use
Just like many of the other metrics, the 6-Sheet Micro-Cut score smack-dab in the middle, earning an average score in ease of use. Day-to-day use is quite simple. It has just one button that flips between auto (on), off, and reverse. There is also a warning light to indicate if the shredding unit is overheating. A small plastic guard prevents fingers from getting in touch with the blade, and a small slot allows you to insert credit cards. It also has a small handle, making it easy to remove the shredding unit with a single hand. The only reason it didn't earn top marks was its bin.
At 4.1 gallons, it is a decent size for a small capacity shredder, but it only has a tiny viewing window in the front to give you an idea of how full it is. For a small shredder like this that will likely hide away under a desk, we would have preferred a digital full indicator on the top of the shredding unit.
The shredding unit isn't terribly difficult to remove.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Noise
This shredder was one of the worst performers in our noise testing, scoring well below average. It is not particularly loud, but it does produce a high-pitched whine that can become grating pretty quickly. We definitely wouldn't want to have to listen to this shredder for more than a couple of minutes, but it is bearable for the odd 10-page document.
Should You Buy the Amazon Basics 6-Sheet Micro-Cut?
If your budget is low but your security demands are high, this is the model for you. The Amazon Basics 6-Sheet Micro-Cut is a great choice if you want high security, but don't shred very often and don't need to shred CDs.
What Other Paper Shredder Should You Consider?
If your security needs are lower and would prefer more shredding power, consider the Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Cross-Cut. It is inferior when it comes to security, but it can shred at a much faster clip, getting through more paper in less time. It is also a touch less expensive, so you can save some cash if the 8-Sheet Cross-Cut model suits your needs.
—Max Mutter and Steven Tata
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