REASONS TO BUY
Fast
Powerful
Relatively quiet
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Large
Fellowes Powershred 99Ci Review
This premium model is well worth the time savings for those that shred a lot
We couldn't get over how unobtrusive this device sounds when it's seamlessly shredding through hundreds of sheets of paper.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
RELATED: Best Paper Shredder of 2024
Our Verdict
If you have a job that tends to generate stacks of sensitive documents, the Powershred 99Ci is your new best friend. During our hands-on testing, it tore through 180 sheets per minute, handled staples and paper clips without so much as a groan, and was by far the quietest model we tested. The only real downside is its high cost and its size (it's about as big as a large kitchen wastebasket). If you don't need the blazing speed there are certainly more economical choices out there. But, if you constantly find yourself shredding documents with page counts in the triple digits, this shredder is worth every penny. Check out how it compares to the competition in our best paper shredder review.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Fellowes Powershred 99Ci | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best for High-Volume Shredding | Best for High-Security Shredding |  Best Bang for the Buck | Best on a Tight Budget |  Best Desktop Style Model |
| Price | $452 List $255.43 at Amazon | $127 List | $77 List $72.62 at Amazon | $56 List $36.48 at Amazon | $45 List $34.81 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A fantastic option for those that shred hundreds of pages per day | A relatively quiet, intuitive paper shredder with high-end micro-cutting capabilities | 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 | Perfect if you only shred a few pages here and there, and don't have too much space to spare |
| Rating Categories | Fellowes Powershred... | Amazon Basics 12 Sh... | Aurora AU1230XA Ant... | Amazon Basics 8-She... | Aurora AS420C Desktop |
| Shredding Quality (40%) | |||||
| Speed (35%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
| Noise (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Fellowes Powershred... | Amazon Basics 12 Sh... | Aurora AU1230XA Ant... | Amazon Basics 8-She... | Aurora AS420C Desktop |
| Advertised Sheet Capacity | 18 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| Measured Sheet Capacity | 18 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 4 |
| Bin Capacity | 9 gallons | 5.7 gallons | 5.2 gallons | 4.1 gallons | 1.32 gallons |
| Maximum Sheets per Minute | 185 | 133 | 168 | 96 | 24 |
| Shred Type | Cross-Cut | Micro-Cut | Cross-Cut | Cross-Cut | Cross-Cut |
| Shred Size | 5/32" x 1-1/2" | 5/32" x 15/32" | 3/16" x 1-9/16" | 3/16" x 1-27/32" | 1.5" x 1-17/20" |
| Dimensions | 17.3 x 11.4 x 25.2 | 14.5" x 10.3" x 20.5" | 13.31" x 8.46" x 15.87 | 12.8" x 7.3" x 15.9" | 9.49" x 6.93" x 9.92" |
| Weight | 36.4 lbs | 21.1 Ibs | 13.1 Ibs | 8.3 lbs | 4.9 lbs |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Powershred 99Ci is the best overall shredder that we tested and is great for those that have to shred hundreds of pages a day. It earned the top overall score in our testing, as you can see above, but it may be a bit overkill for most people. That said, if you're looking for a beefy tool to take on huge projects with ease, it is the perfect option. Read on to find out why.
Performance Comparison
If you don't mind forking over the cash, this shredder will happily take on shredding jobs of all shapes and sizes.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Shredding Quality
The Fellowes Powershred 99Ci earned one of our highest scores in shredding quality.
The only knock against this shredder is the fact that it is cross-cut rather than micro-cut. Apart from that, it's almost infallible. It tore through its advertised capacity of 18-sheets with absolutely no complaint. Even the thickest junk mail envelopes didn't stand a chance. Credit cards, CDs, staples, and paper clips were similarly no match for the Fellowes powerful blades. If you're ok with the security level of cross-cut (which is likely more than adequate for most people), it's near perfect.
The Powershreds99Ci is not as secure as a micro-cut machine, but it still offers an adequate level of security for most people.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Speed
The Powershred 99Ci earned a perfect score in our speed testing, making it the fastest shredder on the block.
It averaged over 180 pages per minute in our speed testing. For reference, that's the entirety of the Tolstoy tome War and Peace in under seven minutes. It's also more than twice as fast as most of the models we tested. Bottom line: if the page counts of your shredding jobs routinely reach the triple digits, this is the shredder for you.
Ease of Use
The 99Ci picked up a fairly average score in our ease of use testing. Considering how stellar of a job it does in all our other metrics, this didn't bother us in the slightest.
Overall, the Fellowes Powershred 99Ci is quite user-friendly. The drawer-style bin is easy to empty. It is also a whopping nine gallons, by far the largest of any of the models we tested. This makes emptying the bin a much less frequent chore. It has a separate slot for CDs and credit cards with a plastic guard that prevents shards from flying out of the slot. The main shredding slot also has a safety sensor, so if your fingers get anywhere near the blades, it shuts off. The wheels, found on the base, make it easy to move around the office. It has the all-important reverse button in case you manage to jam the blades (although we found it pretty difficult, if not impossible, to get this thing to jam). There are also lights that indicate when the bin is full and if the blades are overheating. This prevents you from overfilling the bin and then risking a confetti avalanche when you finally remember to empty it.
the Powershred 99Ci's shredding slot and its safety sensor that shuts off the second a finger touches it.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Powershred 99Ci loses points in this metric for one main reason, its size. While the wheels facilitate moving this shredder short distances, it is a pain if you need to move the shredder up or down the stairs. It also takes up a lot of room and thus can't be hidden underneath a desk unless you have a very large desk, potentially standing, desk.
Noise
The Powershred 99Ci is one of the least offensive sounding shredders we tested, earning it the top score in this metric.
This machine produces a low-pitched hum. Even when overloaded, it never sounds strained, just keeps on humming. This is in stark contrast to other models that emit annoying, high-pitched shrills. In fact, this is the only shredder we tested that we think you could run for an extended period of time in a crowded office without getting dirty looks from all of your coworkers.
This is a powerful and high-volume shredder, but the price is steeper than many options we tested.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Should You Buy the Fellowes Powershred 99Ci?
This is a very expensive shredder, but if you shred hundreds of pages a day, the speed, power, and lack of annoying sounds this thing makes are well worth the cost. It is a great machine for those who need its capabilities we illuminate in this review.
What Other Paper Shredders Should You Consider?
If your shredding jobs are less frequent or smaller, consider opting for the Amazon Basics 24-Sheet Cross-Cut. It is not as fast or suave, but it has a big waste bin and can handle large amounts of paper at a time. For more security, though, get the Amazon Basics 12 Sheet Micro-Cut. It micro-cuts sensitive documents into many more pieces than cross-cutting models, adding another level of security. Both of these models have the benefit of saving you money if you choose them over the Powershred 99Ci.
—
Max Mutter and Steven Tata
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