Compare Paper Shredders

18 ranked products · Two to 4 at a time · Updated 10 Sept 2026

Pick any two to four of the 18 ranked paper shredders and read them side by side. This page opens on the board's top 3, Fellowes Powershred 99Ci, Staples 12-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder (ST62153) and Fellowes Powershred LX220.

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Paper Shredders compared side by side. Each column is one product, each row is one measure taken from the same research that built the board.
Measure	Fellowes Fellowes Powershred 99Ci	Staples Staples 12-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder (ST62153)	Fellowes Fellowes Powershred LX220	Aurora Aurora AU120MA	Aurora Aurora AU1230XA	Amazon Basics Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder	Fellowes Fellowes Powershred LX22M	Bonsaii Bonsaii C233-B	Fellowes Fellowes Powershred LX70	Aurora Aurora AU1060MA	Bonsaii Bonsaii C234-A	Amazon Basics Amazon Basics 12-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder	Fellowes Fellowes Powershred 79Ci	Aurora Aurora AU1800XA 18-Sheet Anti-Jam Cross-Cut Shredder	Bonsaii Bonsaii C234-A 6-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder	Royal Royal 14MC	Bonsaii Bonsaii C261-C 6-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder	Aurora Aurora AS420C
Tier	S	S	A	B	B	B	C	C	C	C	C	C	D	D	D	F	F	F
Rank on this board	1 of 18	2 of 18	3 of 18	4 of 18	5 of 18	6 of 18	7 of 18	8 of 18	9 of 18	10 of 18	11 of 18	12 of 18	13 of 18	14 of 18	15 of 18	16 of 18	17 of 18	18 of 18
Ladder points	1077 LP	1040 LP	671 LP	574 LP	544 LP	502 LP	466 LP	456 LP	448 LP	440 LP	417 LP	377 LP	300 LP	276 LP	216 LP	109 LP	18 LP	0 LP
Our verdict	The most authoritative current overall pick (Forbes) sitting on Fellowes' best mid-range chassis, with the brand's oiling-supported longevity record behind it. The default answer for someone who never wants to think about this purchase again.	Wirecutter's top home pick that Popular Mechanics verified over-performs its rating, and thermal headroom from over-capacity performance is what keeps motors alive. Slightly behind the LX220 only because its support network is retail-store rather than a shredder specialist.	Popular Mechanics' review reads like a longevity spec sheet: above-average runtime, anti-jam, and a lower-than-average cooldown, plus 30-minute continuous duty. The best current-generation Fellowes for sustained home-office work.	A solid micro-cut with Project Farm's endorsement and Aurora's anti-jam design behind it, ranked last among the picks only because its supporting evidence is one comparison video rather than long-term data.	The rare budget-tier machine with documented five-year survival, a 4.4-star buyer record, and anti-jam auto-reverse. Proof that the value pick and the durable pick can be the same machine.	Reviewers say it beats the 12-sheet cross-cut alternatives for the same money or less. The best security-per-dollar for light home use.	Same LX-series durability story in micro-cut, backed by its presence in Consumer Reports' current testing, though the detailed long-term verdicts were not retrievable from the evidence in front of me.	110-sheet auto-feed and a large bin at a budget price is a capability class everyone else charges a premium for. The value pick for volume shredders.	The Independent's best overall, carrying Fellowes' build culture in the current LX line. A touch less runtime headroom than the LX220 keeps it mid-pack.	High-volume model with frequent jams and quicker gear wear. Not cost-effective over time.	Consumer Reports-tested and the strongest value pick on the board, but Bonsaii's documented thermal weaknesses in sibling models and thinner longevity track record keep it below every Fellowes and the proven Auroras.	Cheap, visible, and present in current roundups, but it is textbook entry-class hardware with a short service life and no expert guide anchoring it. The Aurora AU1230XA costs little more and lasts years longer.	A genuinely well-built machine that still runs forever, which is why it outranks the remaining traps, but it is coasting: superseded by the 99Ci in every current ranking, with no outlet naming it a top pick today. Buy the 99Ci.	Large capacity but only cross-cut. Price comparable to flagships makes it overpriced for typical use.	Budget micro-cut with low noise, best for minimal use.	Costco buyers flatly call it shoddy, its brand has no support reputation to speak of, and its big sheet-capacity number is marketing over substance. The Fellowes Powershred LX220 is the correct buy in this class.	Short duty cycle, thermal interruptions, plastic-gear lifespan. Cheap to buy, annoying to own, dead young.	Quiet desktop shredder with a long service life thanks to metal gears.
What reviewers rate	Named the best paper shredder overall by Forbes Vetted for homes and small businesses Mid-range 99-series chassis that, with correct oiling, lasts meaningfully longer than entry-level brands Cross-cut workhorse suited to multi-year ownership Great choice for homes and small businesses	Named the best home paper shredder by Wirecutter for documents, junk mail, and CDs Consistently handled its rated 12-sheet capacity and chewed through 15-sheet stacks Micro-cut security to roughly 4.3mm x 12mm pieces Overload protection	High single-feed capacity with an anti-jamming mechanism Higher-than-average runtime and up to 30 minutes of continuous shredding Lower-than-average cooldown time SilentShred quiet operation	Named among Project Farm's four best home-office shredders Shares Aurora's anti-jam and long-run-time design philosophy Micro-cut step up within Aurora's 12-sheet line Micro-cut speed	A long-term user report says it still works great with no issues after 5 years Buyers rate it 4.4 out of 5 citing consistent shredding performance 12-sheet capacity, fast shred speeds, and anti-jam auto-reverse Anti-jam feature that owners confirm actually works	Micro-cut security at strip-and-cross-cut money Genuinely better security than same-price cross-cut rivals per reviewers Budget friendly quiet operation	Appears in Consumer Reports' current five-best shredder testing Featured in Popular Mechanics' shredder spec guide LX-series build quality in a micro-cut machine In Consumer Reports' current test set, scored on security, speed, sheet capacity, convenience, and noise	110-sheet auto-feed tray lets you drop in a stack and walk away Large 6.1-gallon bin suits regular large batch volumes Micro-cut with P-4 security level 30-minute continuous runtime	Named the best overall paper shredder by The Independent Credited with helping to protect against data breaches Entry point into Fellowes' current LX line with its better gear train and motor support culture The Independent's best overall pick in its current UK guide	High volume capacity Micro-cut security 10 sheets per pass Low noise	Featured among Consumer Reports' five best shredders Tested on security, speed, sheet capacity, convenience, and noise The strongest value pick with an authoritative tester behind it One of the cheapest routes to genuine micro-cut security	Works reliably Inexpensive 12-sheet cross-cut capacity Far more capable than its budget positioning suggests	Genuinely well-built machine with a long service life Among the five best shredders Consumer Reports found in 2026 testing Proven dependable mid-range cross-cut On Consumer Reports' current five-best shredders list	60-minute continuous duty cycle Manual-feed architecture that reliability data says survives 18-sheet anti-jam workhorse design Avoids the failure-prone autofeed mechanism	Low noise One of the cheapest legitimate micro-cut shredders available Real P-4 security at impulse-buy pricing Adequate for light users	Carries former award pedigree as a past Wirecutter pick Large capacity Metal construction Jam resistance	Rock-bottom upfront price Basic cross-cut security for very light use	Desktop size Quiet operation Metal gears Tiny desktop footprint
Where it falls short	Costs a premium over budget micro-cuts that deliver the same security class	Support network is retail-store based rather than a shredder specialist Shorter long-term track record than the Fellowes flagships	Not the newest model on the market, and not the cheapest	Consumer autofeed mechanisms are the single most failure-prone design in the category Dealer data shows autofeed return rates around 30% versus under 1% for manual feed Jammed autofeed trays on year-old units are the classic regret story	Cross-cut security class rather than micro-cut Cross-cut security outclassed by micro-cut rivals at similar prices The weakest of the recommended options	Short duty cycle Will not survive heavy use Effectively a 2-to-3-year appliance per entry-level longevity data	Visibly superseded within Fellowes' own line by the LX220 Less multi-year field data than the Ci series	Outclassed by its own sibling, the C234-A, in the specialist's coverage	Beaten on sheer value by the US-market budget picks	Frequent jams Gear wear Limited 10-sheet capacity Strictly a light-duty machine	Bonsaii's long-term record is thinner than Fellowes' or Aurora's Its sibling C209-D has documented thermal complaints Small capacity Thin specialist review coverage	Plastic-geared drive with a thin thermal margin Entry-class hardware pegged at roughly 2 to 3 years of service under moderate use No expert guide's current top pick rests on it Outclassed on security by the same-brand 8-sheet micro-cut at the same money	Previous generation of the 99 series, outclassed by the 99Ci's newer jam-proof feed No current expert guide names it a top pick Cross-cut security is outclassed by the micro-cut models ranked above it An earlier-generation design now outclassed on security and runtime by Fellowes' own LX220 and 99Ci	Only cross-cut security High price near flagship levels Overkill for home users 18-sheet capacity unnecessary for home use	Slow Small bin Short duty cycle	One-star buyer reviews headlined 'Shoddy Quality' on its own Costco listing Royal's support and parts reputation is nowhere near Fellowes or Aurora Its headline sheet-capacity number is spec-sheet marketing over durability Costco buyers report glaring issues with the shredder	Cross-cut only, with lower security than micro-cut rivals Very short duty cycle with thermal cutoffs that interrupt real work Plastic-gear, entry-level build 2-to-3-year lifespan ceiling under even moderate use, and often less	Struggles with anything beyond a sheet or two Tiny bin and light motor A gadget rather than a tool, outclassed by the cheapest real micro-cut options
Evidence behind it	14 sources across 14 outlets	5 sources across 4 outlets	4 sources across 4 outlets	2 sources across 2 outlets	3 sources across 3 outlets	4 sources across 4 outlets	8 sources across 7 outlets	2 sources across 2 outlets	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	2 sources across 2 outlets	4 sources across 3 outlets	6 sources across 5 outlets	11 sources across 10 outlets	2 sources across 2 outlets	2 sources across 2 outlets	3 sources across 3 outlets	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional
Flagged as one to avoid	Not flagged	1 of 9 research runs	Not flagged	1 of 10 research runs	1 of 10 research runs	Not flagged	Not flagged	1 of 2 research runs	Not flagged	1 of 7 research runs	Not flagged	2 of 3 research runs	5 of 11 research runs	2 of 8 research runs	Not flagged	3 of 9 research runs	3 of 5 research runs	3 of 7 research runs
Announced	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded
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Every column is the same research that built the board. Nothing here is a specification sheet copied from a maker. Read how we rank for what a tier and a ladder point mean.