10 Best Home Shredders: Destroy Personal Documents & Household Papers Securely

Have you been thinking about buying a home shredder so you can shred personal papers?

Are you interested in learning more about this device?

If you are, keep on reading because in this post I’ll list the top 10 best models from the market. You’ll learn about their design, paper capacity, shredder types, speed, and other useful features. We’ll advise you on buying the best options for your needs, just follow our guidelines.

Our Top Picks

Basic Info On Household Paper Shredders

This machine can help you protect your identity from thieves and fraudesters. You can use it in any room of your house if you choose the proper model. Also, it will help you dispose of your sensitive information securely by shredding it up so that it is unreadable.

What Defines This Machine For Home?

A good option is to get a model that is small in size to fit your space, fast enough to cut your light-duty shredding projects, offer enough security for safe information disposal and usually won’t have a big sheet capacity. Likewise, this shredding machine should also be quiet so it won’t disturb you.

Is Micro-Cut Or Cross-Cut Better?

The difference between a micro-cut and a cross-cut is that the latter does not produce shreds as small as micro-cut types. That is why the best security is offered by micro-cut, even for home use. However, you can also opt for a cross-cut models if you don’t have to destroy documents with very sensitive information. In other cases, a micro-cut model is your safest bet, although a bit pricier.

Which Type Is Most Secure?

If you are very worried about your security, a P-7, also known as a shredder with level 6 security, is the most secure option available on the market. It destroys paper into very small shreds, equal to 1 millimeter or less in width and with an area equal to or less than 5 millimeters squared. Likewise, it is the only type that meets the NSA requirements for paper destruction of classified and confidential documents.

Are Basic And Cheap Options Secure Enough?

We do not recommend buying a very cheap model (of maybe up to 30 dollars), as it most probably won’t be a cross-cut or micro-cut and it will only be useful for shredding a few sheets of paper at a time and mostly destroy paper into long strips which do not offer enough security. However, you can get a device secure enough for your household by spending under a hundred dollars.

Types Of Shredders

The market offers an abundance of models and types you can choose from so that there is something for everyone’s needs. Find the list of models that we think are suitable for home use below based on the needs of different users:

• Manual option – If you only want to shred occasionally and in very small quantities, a manual model could be enough for you; they come in handheld size and some have a turning knob for shredding; usually around $20
• Electric device – the most common type; a machine that runs on electricity, comes in many different sizes, in all three cutting types, and will help you destroy any paperwork, you get to choose between:
• free-standing models – for keeping on the ground, featuring a bin and a shredder head
• basketless shredder – if you only have a small space available for it, a shredder without a bin might be a good option for you; it fits over different bin sizes and does not take up too much space when stored away
• One that fits your desktop – for even more compact opetions, you can even choose a model that fits on your desktop for convenient use

Why Would You Need a Shredder?

Recent years have shown an increase in identity theft and other types of criminal actions that include identity stealin. But besides keeping your paperwork information safe by shredding it before disposing of it, there are other reasons why you might benefit from having a household shredding machine:

• save storage space – destroying paper that you no longer need to keep a record of will free up storage space in your house
• save time – shredding paper with a machine will save you time you would otherwise have to spend on shredding by hand
• be more productive – having piles upon piles of paper can give you a headache and slow you down in doing your tasks, shredding them to declutter your space will make you more productive as it won’t be a distraction anymore
• multipurpose use – besides shredding sensitive data, you can also create confetti-like shreds for birthday parties

Who Is This Option For?

If you are still unsure of whether your house needs this machine, here are some cases in which it might be useful to you:

• you get a lot of junk mail you want to get rid of without opening
• you have a home office where you keep paperwork you no longer need
• you work from home and need to get rid of business data securely
• you need to destroy credit cards
• CDs and DVDs you no longer need are lying around
• you want to occasionally get rid of some paper or documents
• you have a large shredding project
• you run your small business from home, etc

How Can I Choose It?

There are many variables that will influence your choice when buying a shredder. Read this buying guide to make the decision easier:

Compact Size

Be careful when choosing a machine. They are often big in size and require a lot of space that you might not have in your house. Check the dimensions of the product always. We recommend those that are around 10 to 12 inches.

Sheet Capacity

For occasional shredding, choose an option that can shred up to 10 sheets per pass. If you want to shred more often, choose one with around a 20-sheet capacity. For high-volume shredding, choose a heavy-duty model with a capacity of around 50 sheets or more.

Bin Capacity

If you end up going for a model with a wastebin, you will get to choose between small ones, of up to 5-gallon capacity, or much higher. The bigger the sheet capacity you choose, the bigger the bin size. For example, for more frequent shredding, choose one that can hold 13 gallons of waste or more.

How Long Can You Run It?

Check the run time or the duty cycle recommended by the manufacturer. That is the longest you can run it before it needs to turn off to cool down. Usually, they run between 5 to 10 minutes. If you need to shred more often or in bigger quantities, go for a model with a higher run time.

Cooldown Time

After it reaches the maximum run time, every shredder needs to be turned off to cool down. Most models for this situation need around 30 to 45 minutes to cool down after running so you cannot use them then.

Features For The Safety Of The Household

Choose a shredder with an automatic shut-off to prevent damage to the motor. Also, look for models that detect hands and fingers near the blade and stop the shredder to prevent injuries, especially if you have children.

Anti-Jam

Anti-jam technology will help prevent the paper from getting stuck inside the blades. If a paper jam occurs, you won’t have to expose your fingers to the blades, but instead run the reverse and auto-forward settings to clear the jam.

Security Level Recommendation

It is recommended to go with a P-4 security level or higher, up to P-7. For example, a P-5 shredding machine is a good choice for medium security.

What Do You Need To Shred?

Sometimes, you might have to destroy more than just paper. That is why you should buy a model that can also handle cutting credit cards, staples, paper clips, CDs, DVDs, etc. Before feeding any of these materials, make sure the device is compatible with it.

Low Noise For Quiet Use

Paper shredders that are louder than 60 decibels are not recommended as they will make too much noise. This can be a distraction and even a health hazard.

10 Best Home Shredders

Fellowes Powershred Paper Shredder

High-security Level
This practical shredder will meet all your home office needs. With 17.7 inches in height and 13.6 inches in width, it fits under the desk and doesn’t require much space. Fellowes destroys credit cards, documents, and paper with staples and clips. Its security level is high, P-4.

Safety Lock Feature
Fellowes cross-cut has a continuous run time of five minutes, and the cool-down period lasts 20 minutes. Its lift-off bin comes with a convenient handle for easy use. Insert 12 sheets per once and it’ll shred them quickly. Safety Lock disables it when detects paws or fingers. If you want to check more similar models for your personal office, check out this post on best home office machines.

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Bonsen Paper Shredder S3104

Cross-cut Shredder
This Bonsen shredder for paper has a cross-cutting mechanism, also known as confetti-cut, with a P-4 level of security. This means that it destroys paper into particles that are sized 5/32” x 12/32”（4x35mm). Moreover, this machine has an 18-sheet capacity per pass.
6.6-gallon Capacity
Particles fall into a large wastebasket with a 6.6-gallon capacity. It can hold up to 420 A4-sized sheets turned into tiny cross-cut particles. Moreover, it can run for 30 minutes without stoping thanks to the advanced cooling technology that protects the motor. For those who work with a high amount of paper, there are more high-quality large shredders you can use at home.

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GBC Shredmaster Home Shredder

Fits Anywhere
The GBC is one of the smallest you can find on the market. It’s perfect for limited space home offices. The dimensions are 11.3 x 6.1 x 12.6 inches and it weighs 5 pounds. Place it on your desk, it won’t take up too much space. This is a strip-cut type, it shreds documents into long strips.

Manual Reverse Function
This small device isn’t designed for secured and confidential documents. Its maximum sheet capacity per pass is six papers. GBC shredder can run for up to 2 minutes continuously. Use the manual reverse function if a paper jam occurs. Not for CDs and DVDs. If you’re interested in this kind of shredder, check out the small paper shredders article.

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Rexel Heavy-duty Shredder

2-year Warranty
Rexel is a compact yet powerful machine that measures 16.9 x 11.6 x 13.7 inches in size. You can place it on your home office desk, under the desk, it fits anywhere. A 2-year warranty is provided by the manufacturer. It’s able to shred credit cards and papers with staples and paper clips.

Medium Security Level
This cross-cut heavy-duty device ensures a medium security level, P-3, so it isn’t designed for secret and highly confidential documents. Simply add a stack of paper into the magazine on the top of the device and it will shred it automatically. Rexel will shred 60 sheets of paper at once. If you want to check other similar models, check out an article on heavy-duty paper shredders.

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Aurora AU740XA Cross-cut Shredder

7 Sheets Per Pass
Aurora is an electric model, it is suitable for confidential documents and papers. This compact shredder cuts paper into 3/16 x 1-26/27-inch particles. It is impossible to read these tiny pieces of documents. Accepts 7 sheets per single pass. You can put papers, documents, staples, paper clips, and credit cards into this device.

ShredSafe Feature
Its wastebasket has a capacity of 3.7 gallons. The ShredSafe features will automatically stop shredding if you try to push the paper with force. Moreover, the Jam Remover cleans the cutters from paper jams. If you find this model useful, then check other best cross cut shredders.

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AmazonBasics Paper Shredder

Compact Design
This AmazonBasic features a 6-sheet capacity, making it suitable for ligh shredding. It measures 12.1 x 7.7 x 15 inches in size and weighs 8 pounds. It’s ideal for small home offices, place it under your desk and it won’t take up much space. Also, it is under 50 dollars so you won’t spend too much on it.

Cross-cut Shredder
It shreds documents into 3/16 x 1-27/32-inch small particles. It meets a medium-security level, so it isn’t intended for highly confidential documents. It isn’t necessary to remove paper clips and staples from documents, AmazonBasic will shred them. Overheating protection prolongs the shredder’s lifespan. If you like this model and want to check more items with similar features, check the post on electric document shredders.

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GoEcolife High Security Paper Shredder

Limited Edition
GoEcolife is available in white color with grey top. It is carbon-free and meets the Carbon-free Product Certification Protocol. This home micro-cut model designed for highly secured documents, it shreds papers into unreadable particles. Insert paper and credit cards into the slot.

Low Noise Level
It is an energy-saving machine that consumes less power when the standby mode is on. It produces a low noise level of 62 decibels which won’t disturb you during work.GoEcolife can shred 8 sheets per single pass and its shredding speed is 9.8 feet per minute.

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GBC Super Cross-Cut Paper Shredder

1-year Warranty
This small and compact diamond-cut GBC Personal Duo fits on your desk, under it, or in the corner of your room. It’s available in two colors – light blue and black. Shredder’s dimensions are 19 x 10.8 x 18.6 inches. A 1-year warranty is provided by the manufacturer.

High-Security Level
GBC is a shredder with a high-security level, P-4. It can cut papers with staples and clips, documents, credit cards, CDs, and DVDs. It runs 4 minutes continuously, then requires a cool-down time of 45 minutes. A small transparent window helps you to see when the bin is full.

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Bonsaii C220-A Paper Shredder

12-sheet Capacity
Bonsaii C220-A is available in few variants, but this model features a 12-sheet capacity. It can shred paper with paper clips and staples. It isn’t necessary to remove them when inserting the paper. This cross-cut cuts paper into 5/32 x 1-37/64 inches.

Four Wheels
Featuring a high-security level, it is ideal for private and confidential documents. Through the large transparent window on the front, you can see when the bin is full. Its capacity is 3.5 gallons. The four universal wheels allowing you to move it when needed. If youare looking for a bit stronger machines, then you should check our powerful shredder for home use review.

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Aurora Desktop-style Shredder

Efficient Paper Shredder
Aurora model number AU1200XD is a compact mail shredder with desktop-style size. It is ideal for occasional use when you need an efficient device. Aurora’s dimensions are 13.2 x 9.9 x 11.8 inches and it weighs 17 pounds. It shreds CDs, DVDs, documents, credit cards, junk, and unopened mails.

Auto-reverse Function
It features a high-security level, it’s P-4. Its maximum sheet capacity per single pass is 12 papers. Aurora runs 5 minutes continuously while the cool-down period lasts 45 minutes. Integrated auto-jam and auto-reverse functions will automatically reverse the jammed paper. You should check more best mail shredders that are compact and efficient.

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How To Use This Machine?

Check out this helful step-by-step guide and learn how to operate it properly and safely.

• 1. Know which materials (paper and others) your shredder can take and which you should avoid before you start shredding.
• 2. Plug in the machine in te power outlet.
• 3. Feed the paper or other suitable material into the throat/opening slot. If you are shredding CDs/DVDs, usually there is a separate slot for that.
• 4. Start the shredder by pressing the on or start button.
• 5. In case the paper gets jammed, turn the reverse setting on.
• 6. Turn the shredder off once the paper has been shredded or the machine has reached its maximum duty cycle.
• 7. Wait for it to cool down for the recommended time before you can continue shredding.

Also, here is a video on how to do it for those who are more visual:

Tender Loving Care For Your Device

A shredder cannot run properly and smoothly without frequent maintenance. To ensure it has a long lifespan and offers optimal performance, you will have to oil the blades frequently. Besides that, you should also empty the bin before it gets too full and keep the shredder turned off and unplugged when it is not in use. Likewise, you should also run it in reverse from time to time to free up stuck paper and dust particles.

What Can I Use To Lubricate It?

They should be lubricated frequently, either with an oil or a lubricant sheet. Moreover, if you have a cross-cut type in your home, you should lubricate it every 30 minutes of use. For micro-cut types, oil the blades after 15 minutes of run time as they require more maintenance.

Can You Sharpen The Blades?

If blades are blunt, there is a simple fix for it. Run a couple of sheets of aluminum foil through it like you would with paper. The foil is soft enough not to do any damage but metallic enough to sharpen the dull blades.

Quick Tips For Destroying Paper Without A Shredder

If you want to get rid of paper in your home but without this machine, here is how to do it. You can soak it in water and bleach and leave it in the bucket overnight. Bear in mind, you will have to deal with soaked pulp material. Another way to destroy paper is to burn it. You will have to deal with ashes, afterward, though. Moreover, another alternative and cheaper way would be to shred with scissors.