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Paper shredders aren't just for businesses anymore; with identity theft concerns on the rise, having one at home is a wise investment.
Our experts rigorously tested 15 top models, shredding thousands of (recycled) pages, plus tough items like credit cards and CDs, to determine which shredders have what it takes to be the best.
Our overall favorite is the Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet, offering powerful, fast, and relatively quiet operation. If you can afford it, there's really no justifiable reason to pick anything else. For a more affordable option, we recommend the high-security Amazon Basics 8 Sheet Micro Cut.
Editor's Note: We updated this review on June 18th, 2025, to add more products to the testing lineup.
If you find that your regular shredding needs are a couple of pages at a time but also occasionally get overwhelmed by hundreds of pieces of paper suddenly getting dropped on your desk, the Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet was made for you. This is the only shredder in our testing suite that has the ability to handle a stack of paper over 100 sheets thick all at once, thanks to its auto-feed mechanism. Furthermore, this machine shreds paper into the micro-cut format of essentially confetti, ensuring the highest level of security for your private documents. It's also one of the less annoying shredders to listen to as it chews away at dozens of sheets of paper. Our lead tester had this revelation while testing the Aurora: “I didn't think a paper shredder would actually be fun to use, but watching this beast chew through hundreds of pieces of paper has been a delight. Now I'm finding excuses to shred paper around the office”.
We didn't find many flaws with the Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet, but one feature it is missing is the ability to shred CDs. It also isn't the fastest shredder we've tested, but it's still pretty quick. If you want the absolute fastest shredder, the Fellows Powershred 99Ci is technically speedier, but you'll need to sit and hand-feed it as it doesn't have an auto-feed mechanism. The AU120MA is also much bulkier than smaller capacity models or desktop versions. Despite our short list of potential drawbacks, this one is still the best model for those in the market for a top-tier paper shredder.
The auto-feed mechanism draws from a feeder compartment in the top of the shredder and allows for up to 120 pages to be shredded with the touch of a button.
The Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Micro-Cut is a high-security shredder that can tackle most shredding tasks while not breaking the bank. It produces micro-cut shreds that are virtually impossible to reassemble, and at a price point where most other shredders are only lower security cross-cut. It can shred more than the advertised eight pages of paper, which is average capacity. It has enough grunt to also shred credit cards, and it even has a dedicated CD shredder. Unlike most budget shredders, it features a pull-out waste bin, eliminating the need to remove the entire head unit. This makes emptying the shredder much easier and cleaner than top-load units. Although it doesn't make a pleasant sound while operating, the noise this shredder makes isn't too annoying.
The largest drawbacks of the Amazon Basics are that it is relatively slow in its shredding duties and that it is too large to easily hide under a small desk. Shredding just a single sheet is easy, but it is still much slower than some competitors. When shredding multiple sheets, though, this model doesn't slow down. Although our lead tester doesn't have a lot to say about the Amazon basics, he still recommends it wholeheartedly, stating, “Although cheaper, this bad boy can tackle any shredding task. I think it's very competitive for the price”. If you don't need the higher security of a micro cut shred, the Aurora AU1230XA Anti-Jam 12-Sheet Crosscut is slightly cheaper and actually faster than the Basics.
The Aurora AS420C Desktop is an excellent choice if you've managed to keep your paper documents to the bare minimum but still need a convenient way to dispose of the occasional sensitive page or two. This tiny, no-frills paper shredder is powerful enough to chew through a few pages at a time or a credit card on its own. It is also small enough to inconspicuously live on a shelf or the corner of your desk until you need to pull it out, making it great for personal use. The noise it makes is also surprisingly innocuous and doesn't have the usual whine we expect from smaller, less expensive machines. Our reviewer liked how it helped him keep his desk clean, noting, “Cute and tiny, I love that I can keep this on my desk and shred papers I'm not using anymore to keep my desk space nice and tidy”.
Unfortunately, this paper shredder is simply not designed for heavy use. Long documents or frequent shredding warrant the consideration of a larger unit because heavy use is likely to stress the tiny motor of this machine. It's also significantly slower than most high-capacity models. Those who require high-quality shredding for larger stacks are better off with another model like the Amazon Basics 12 Sheet Micro-Cut.
Fun fact: did you know that shredded paper can be reused as cat litter and rabbit bedding? just be sure there isn't any plastic. Some animal shelters accept donations, but reach out beforehand to make sure
Credit: Natalie Kafader
How We Tested
To complete this review, we shredded over 5000 pages of recycled documents ranging from standard 8.5 by 11-inch sheets to stuffed junk-mail envelopes and credit cards. In doing so, we evaluated each model's shredding quality and speed, the ease of emptying the wastebasket, and the relative annoyingness of the shrieks associated with documents meeting their doom. We also thoroughly evaluated important shredder-related questions, such as “How much more secure is micro-cut than cross-cut?” and “When is it worth upgrading to a shredding service?” In the end, we identified what we believe to be the best shredders for every application, from home users who only shred a few pages a month to offices that need to dispose of hundreds of sensitive pages at a time and everything in between. For more details on our testing process, take a look at our full How We Test article.
Our paper shredder testing is divided into four different metrics:
Shredding Quality (40% of overall score weighting)
Speed (35% weighting)
Noise (15% weighting)
Ease of Use (10% weighting)
Why Trust GearLab
Our new addition to the testing team, Liber Mckee, spent days turning paper into confetti for this review. His skills with experimental design and testing protocols proved invaluable in measuring the efficacy of these shredders. Max Mutter and Steven Tata led GearLab's office product testing from 2016. So far, they've gotten their hands on well over 100 home office products, from printers to office chairs. The unique experience of testing small office products while working in a small office grants Max and Steven a clear perspective on which models really work and the best way to meet the various needs of a small business. Hayley Thomas has been testing products for GearLab since 2019. All four of these testers consider every office product they test through the lens of a home user and are thus quite familiar with that landscape.
Analysis and Test Results
With all of the new and sophisticated ways that our personal information can be compromised online, it is easy to forget that sensitive details on physical sheets of paper can still be stolen the old-fashioned way if you need to dispose of any physical documents that could tempt an identity thief, a good paper shredder is a worthwhile investment.
Worse Value
Better Value
What's the Best Value?
An office-grade shredder is not a must for everyone. Generally speaking, most people only need it for odd credit card statements or tax documents. In that case, our best buy, the Amazon Basics 8 Sheet Micro Cut, offers strong value, providing high security and reliable performance for infrequent, small to medium-sized tasks at a low price. If your shredding jobs are greater or more frequent, the Amazon Basics 12 Sheet Micro Cut adds extra capacity and power for a heftier but comparably affordable price. Our best overall shredder, the Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet, is also quite high value if you can afford it. It beats every shredder we've tested in capacity and convenience with its auto-feed mechanism, and it is still half the price of other high-quality shredders in our review.
Although mostly unnecessary in this day and age the CD shredding slot is a nice to have on the rare occasion that I need a CD mechanically shorn
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Shredding Quality
Shredding quality is a three-part metric: Convenience, security, and reliability. Convenience refers to the ability to shred odd items, like credit cards and junk mail envelopes, without any extra fuss. Security relates to the size of the shreds produced, generally either cross-cut or micro-cut. Cross-cut level security makes reconstructing documents extremely difficult and offers enough protection for most people. Micro-cut security, in contrast, makes documents virtually impossible to decipher. Reliability refers to a shredder's ability to shred stacks of paper at its advertised capacity consistently without overheating the motor. For example, if a 10-sheet model isn't reliable enough to continuously shred stacks of 10 pages, you may end up with readable chunks of documents in your waste bin as the blades falter under the stressful workload. We shredded hundreds of items on each shredder and meticulously evaluated the resulting confetti to assess overall shredding quality.
The Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet and 8-Sheet Micro-Cut offer some of the highest levels of security. Both can shred paper into high-security micro-cut shreds. While they both accept credit cards, the 8-Sheet Micro-Cut also has a CD shredding function.
The Amazon Basics High-Security Micro-Cut models live up to their name with sufficiently shredded documents.
Credit: Laura Casner
An honorable mention is the Amazon Basics 24-Sheet Cross-Cut for its shearing power. The 24-sheet easily handles the manufacturer-claimed capacity of 24 sheets and actually beats it, allowing for up to 26 pages to be shredded. The only reason it doesn't score closer to perfection is that it utilizes cross-cut blades rather than micro-cut.
The Bonsen 12-Sheet Micro Cut delivered a solid performance in our shredding tests. It easily tears through a stack of its advertised 12-sheet capacity and exceeds it to 14 pages of shredded destruction. It is also one of the better-built shredders with a thicker plastic drawer and robust-feeling chassis.
If overloaded, paper will often make it through the shredding slot without jamming, but will end up as easily readable shredded paper waffles. This is why accurately reported maximum shredding capacities are crucial.
Credit: Steven Tata
Most of the models we tested could shred basic documents to their specified level of security. However, some actually couldn't even meet their advertised capacity. The Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Cross-Cut and the Bonsaii 8-Sheet Cross Cut C261-C both failed to meet their expected capacity of 8 by only managing to shred seven pages of paper before incomplete shredding occurred. Some shredders also struggled a bit with thicker or sturdier items, like stuffed envelopes and credit cards. Such was the case with the Fellowes Powershred 60Cs. Although it was able to acceptably shred its advertised maximum capacity of 10 sheets into cross-cut bits, it struggled to get there. It also stopped in its tracks when challenged with thicker junk mail envelopes. The Bonsaii EverShred C169-B displayed quite a bit of power in our test, tearing through even fully stuffed junk envelopes. However, we found it utterly incapable of shredding its advertised capacity of a 14-sheet stack of paper. Instead, it only managed an underwhelming 10 sheets.
Micro-cut models reduce credit cards illegible to bits, but we found it is possible to reconstruct a credit card that has gone through a cross-cut model.
Credit: Steven Tata
Speed
Most paper shredders can quickly handle small jobs of 10 or fewer pages, and this may be all you need. Still, if your job or financial strategy routinely pushes your shredding tasks into triple-digit page numbers, you need to consider speed. To test this, we prep stacks of paper that match each model's highest page capacity and feed as many stacks through each shredder as we can over a single minute.
The absolute fastest shredder we tested is the Fellowes Powershred 99Ci. You can shred 185 pages into cross-cut strips in a single minute with this machine. This astonishing speed makes it a great option for those who routinely need to shred large piles of documents. The Aurora AU1230XA Anti-Jam 12-Sheet Cross-cut, which is one of our more budget-friendly options, happily chews through 168 pages over one minute. The Amazon Basics 24-Sheet also performs highly in the speed department simply because of how many pages it can shred simultaneously.
The Fellowes Powershred 79Ci mows down an admirable 140 sheets per minute. Just beware: it jams if you load it with its advertised capacity of 16 sheets, so you'll have to keep the stacks to 14 sheets or less if you're shedding lots of pages (as we did for our speed test).
Posting a maximum rate of 96 sheets per minute, the AmazonBasics 8-Sheet Cross-Cut is one of the faster compact models we've tested.
Credit: Laura Casner
Noise
Let's get this out of the way from the beginning: no paper shredder is quiet. Lots of tiny blades tearing through paper with a whirring motor will inevitably create an unwelcome cacophony. However, some models manage to keep the noise to a less grating, lower-pitched hum rather than a nails-on-chalkboard-style shriek. We measure loudness with a decibel meter and also record each model shredding both small batches and motor-stressing large loads. We also listen to those recordings side-by-side to discover which models are least likely to anger your officemates.
As we said before, no shredder sounds pleasant, but three models outperform the rest by a landslide — the Powershred 99Ci, Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet, and the Amazon Basics 24-Sheet Cross-Cut. They have similar low-pitched hums that are noticeable but not grating, making them the least offensive of the bunch. The Fellowes Powershred 79Ci comes in at a close second. It has a relatively low-pitched, consistent hum that could almost fade into the background. The Amazon Basics 12-Sheet High-Security Micro-Cut also keeps volume reasonably low, with a few higher-pitched crackling noises thrown in.
Ease of Use
Paper shredders are relatively simple machines that don't present too many difficulties beyond the occasional jam, but certain user-friendly features can make your experience more streamlined. The general user-friendliness of these devices heavily weighs on the waste bin. The size and ease of the slide are what set these bins apart. Larger bins offer more time between dumps, and the ability to slide a bin out without having to lift the shredding unit makes emptying more manageable. Clear indicators of when the bin is full can also be helpful in the prevention of a confetti avalanche when trying to empty an overstuffed bin. Safety features like finger guards to prevent children or pets from getting near the blades can improve peace of mind. Most of these machines have very similar, intuitive interfaces, but some models are better designed than others. After shredding thousands of pages for our testing (don't worry, we recycle), we carefully evaluated every one of these features.
The Fellowes Powershred 79Ci is one of the top scorers in this category. We appreciated its thoughtful features, such as a sensor that stops the blades if your finger gets too close and a plastic guard to keep shreds of stiffer items like CDs or credit cards from going astray. A favorite part of this model's user experience is the bin, which provides a clear fullness indicator, slides out from the front, and is the easiest to remove and empty of all the models we tested. The Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet is also a high score here because its auto-feed feature means that you can easily load 120 sheets of paper and then walk away as it shreds through. If that doesn't make it easy to use, I don't know what would.
The woes of trying to empty an overloaded bin.
Credit: Steven Tata
After these top scorers, we have a slew of models that land in the “average” range regarding their user experiences. These models are easy to operate for the most part, but they create some small annoyances, like a bin that can be slightly awkward to empty or a fill indicator that isn't easy to read. We still have yet to encounter a shredder that is overly irritating to use, so a lower score in this metric should not be a deal-breaker. There are just some models that add extra touches to make the experience a bit more pleasant.
We couldn't get over how unobtrusive this device sounds when it's seamlessly shredding through hundreds of sheets of paper.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Conclusion
Every office requires a varying degree of security concerns and capacity amounts for its paper shredders. Whether you have mountains of documents that need to be shredded into the smallest bits possible or want to go that extra step to protect your peace of mind, this review can help you find the best paper shredder for your needs and budget. Our hand-selected options include appropriate options, no matter what your needs may be or how they might change over time.
—Liber McKee, Max Mutter, Steven Tata, and Hayley Thomas
