Products at a Glance
How We Picked the Best Shredders for Home
We looked at an array of different paper shredders for homes, factoring in different quantities of paper that need disposing of and the speed of shredding. Additionally, we gave preferential treatment to shredders that run quietly, so as to not disturb other residents.
Additionally, we looked at other quality-of-life features that enable a shredder to run more effectively, such as hand-safe sensors or the ability to shred paperclips or staples, both earned extra points in terms of effectiveness. We eventually settled on five products, though they are all equally viable candidates for the “best shredder for home”!
Product Reviews
- LED status lights
- Quick shredding speed
- Less secure
Overall, we recommend Amazon’s own-brand shredders are the best for home offices. Both portable and easy to set up, this is a hassle-free document disposal solution.
The base shredder model can take 8 sheets or 20 pounds of paper at a time, thanks to its wide 8.7-inch opening. As a bonus, you don’t need to remove paper clips and staples from your documents before shredding them as the shredder is capable of destroying them with ease. For ease of use, it comes with LED status indicators that alert you to key effects such as when the power is on and when the device is ready for work. To accommodate your shredding needs, the Amazon Basics shredder runs for 3 minutes at a time and cools down for 30 minutes after use. If you run it longer than 3 minutes, it’ll power off automatically to avoid overheating, which is a superb feature for safety.
That said, these shredders aren’t without cons. With a shredding size of 0.2″ x 1.9″, it’s not as secure as a P-4 shredder – therefore be sure to give your most sensitive documents a second pass for safety’s sake. Aside from that, this series of shredders still earns their top spot on our list!
- Affordable
- Safety protection features
- Small wastebasket
The Bonsaii C237-B packs a myriad of convenient features at an affordable price, giving it an advantage over many of its competitors. A highly capable budget shredder, the C237-B is easy to use, and easy to empty afterwards.
The shredder takes up to 6 sheets at a time and can shred a maximum of 36 sheets in 60 seconds. To protect itself from overheating, the shredder shuts down automatically after working for 3 minutes. We love this feature because it prolongs the device’s expected lifetime, making for better value for money. Even for a budget shredder, the C237-B comes with a series of features even some top-rated models lack, such as safety shut-off features that prevent accidents. Another cross-cut shredder, your paper will be cut down to shreds approximately 0.2″ x 0.7″ in size to guarantee personal data protection.
However, you’ll still have empty the wastebasket, and this is where the C237-B has its most noteworthy shortfall. With a mere 3.4-gallon volume, you’ll frustratingly find yourself emptying the waste bin frequently. It’s the price you pay for a cheaper model, however, and it doesn’t stop the C237-B from being one of the best budget shredders for home!
- Safety features
- Secure shredding
- Angled input
If you need to shred large volumes of paper every day, the Aurora AU1220XA will come to your rescue with its 12-sheet capacity. It has the largest capacity on our list, and gives you the chance to shred more paper in a shorter time than usual.
The AU1220XA cross-cuts paper into small strips with dimensions of 0.18″ x 0.06″, which equates to a P-3 security level. It can run continuously for 3 minutes before requiring cooling down, and you can shred as many documents as you want during this window. For more safety, the paper shredder features overload and thermal protection. If you let it work for too long and it starts overheating, it’ll automatically shut down the process to keep its internal wires safe. The shredder also deals with paper clips, staples, and credit cards without jamming. To protect your fellow residents from injury, the AU1220XA features an angled input so that children or pets don’t accidentally harm themselves.
However, this becomes a hindrance when dealing in large quantities of paper shredding, as the angle of the input can make it unnecessarily difficult. It may incur a slight learning curve or some spilled sheets, but otherwise, the AU1220XA is an ideal shredder for home!
- P-5 security
- Large wastebasket
- Bulky form factor
As opposed to cross-cutting, micro-cutting doesn’t give you strips of paper. Instead, it gives you tiny scraps that don’t contain any readable information. As such, the Bonsen S3106 is the most secure shredder for home on our list, boasting a P-5 rating.
The S3106 can shred paper for 40 minutes straight without requiring cooling down. Better still, it only cools down for 20 minutes thanks to an advanced cooling system. The 10-sheet paper shredder has a user-friendly design with an easily liftable head. On the top, the shredder features three control buttons for powering, forwarding, and reversing. There are also LED status indicators for overheating and overloading the bin. There is also an automatic anti-jamming system that reverses the cutting movements to clear stuck paper, and a transparent 5.3-gallon wastebasket so that you know exactly when to empty the shredder.
However, all of these features make for a far bulkier design, which can make it cumbersome for a small home office. If you can make room for it, then the S3106 is the best secure shredder for home on the market!
- SafeSense injury prevention
- Large wastebin
- Compact form factor
- Higher-than-average price
If safety is more a concern than security, consider Fellowes’ Powershred 60Cs. This cross-cut shredder features SafeSense technology that senses hand motions near the paper opening, to minimize the risk of injury in your home.
On its highest duty cycle, the 60Cs can run for 6 minutes before cooling down – a decent runtime for home use. As a bonus, it only needs 20 minutes to be ready for work again. One of our favorite features of this paper shredder is its large bin, as it can take up to 6 gallons of paper. This way, it saves you the hassle of frequent emptying, and the transparent bin means you’ll know when you need to do so. Unlike other large-capacity shredders, the 60Cs is surprisingly compact, and can easily fit beneath or atop any desk.
It is more expensive than many other shredders, however, which may alienate some buyers. It compensates with great value and safety measures, and more than earns it’s spot on our ranking of the best shredders for home!
Features and Considerations
To ensure the paper shredder you buy meets your needs and preferences, you should choose carefully while keeping a few key features in mind. Here are some of the most important things to consider:
Sheet Capacity
The most important factor to check in a paper shredder is its sheet capacity. Capacities for home use range from 6 to 14 sheets. Depending on the volume of paper you need to shred on a daily or weekly basis, you should choose a suitable volume. You don’t want to pay more money for a large capacity when your use is mild, and the same goes for the opposite. Getting a small capacity will cost you a lot of time if you shred many sheets every day.
Runtime and Cool Down Time
All paper shredders run for a specific amount of time before taking a while to cool down. As you’ve seen above, there’s a wide range of runtimes, all the way from 3 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, cooling down usually takes 20-40 minutes. If you use the shredder frequently, you should look for a long runtime and a short cool down. However, if your use is mild, you can prioritize other features and ditch this one while choosing.
Security Level
Paper shredders come in three types, each of them providing a specific level of security. The three types are strip-cut, cross-cut, and micro-cut. Strip-cut is the least secure type because it cuts paper into large strips that might include readable information. Meanwhile, cross-cut and micro-cut are more secure, with the latter scoring unprecedented security levels. If you deal in sensitive information, consider a shredder with no less than a P-3 security rating.
Safety Features
If you have children and pets running around the house, you should prioritize getting a shredder with safety features. Famous examples are automatic shutdowns upon head removal and hand sensors. This way, if your child gets near the shredder while it’s working, you don’t need to worry about their safety.
Wastebasket Capacity
Before you buy a shredder, you should consider its wastebasket capacity. These capacities are measured in gallons or liters, and the larger yours is, the less frequent emptying you’ll have to do. It’s an important feature to consider in high-volume shredding environments. However, it doesn’t make much of a difference for mild use.
What's the best shredder type for home use?
Cross-cut and micro-cut shredders are the best options for home use because they provide the best levels of security for their various price points. A strip-cut shredder is also a veritable option, but is less secure.
What is a P-5 security rating?
Shredders are rated on a scale of how securely they dispose of information. A P-5 security rating puts your shredder among the best for security, cutting documents into segments so small that they are rendered illegible.
Our Verdict
Though the overall security level isn’t as impressive as its competitors, Amazon’s range of Micro-Cut shredders are ideal for home use. Boasting an intuitive design and fast shredding speeds, it’s ideal for disposing of large quantities of surplus documents safely and speedily!
If you’re looking to preserve some of your documents as well as shred them, check out our buyer’s guide on the best document scanners today!