After researching more than 25 shredders and running more than 4,000 sheets of paper (along with staples, CDs, and credit cards) through seven of them, we recommend the Amazon Basics 8-Sheet High-Security Micro-Cut Shredder with Pullout Basket for personal and home-office use.
The Amazon Basics 8-Sheet High-Security Micro-Cut Shredder with Pullout Basket typically costs more than competing eight-sheet micro-cut shredders, but it’s worth the investment because it runs longer without overheating or jamming.
Like other micro-cut shredders, this Amazon Basics shredder chomps documents into tiny shreds, making any sensitive paperwork all but impossible to reassemble. It can also handle old plastic credit cards, and it has a separate slot for data DVDs, which is helpful for reducing wear and tear on the main shredder gears.
Though this model is slightly bigger than eight-sheet shredders with lift-up tops, it still fits under most desks, and the pullout bin and wheels are conveniences that make it easier to keep up a shredding habit.
Upgrade pick
If an eight-sheet shredder won’t cut it because you constantly have large stacks of sensitive documents to dispose of, the Amazon Basics 12-Sheet Micro Cut Paper Shredder and Credit Card CD Shredder with 6 Gallon Bin is the upgrade model to get.
As the name indicates, it can handle four more sheets at once, and it has more than twice the rated run time—20 minutes versus five. (In our tests, both shredders ran for about three minutes longer than their rated run times before their bins got full.)
The increase in both capacity and run time means you can shred more paper in a single session, and the spacious, 6-gallon bin also means you won’t have to empty the bin as often as you would with lower-capacity shredders.
This 12-sheet shredder has a separate slot for destroying credit cards and discs. But the dedicated slot doesn’t micro-cut the pieces like our main pick, so we recommend shredding at least credit cards in the main paper slot for added security.
Budget pick
If you have light shredding needs—for example, you get most of your statements and other paperwork digitally—the Amazon Basics 6-Sheet High-Security Micro-Cut Paper and Credit Card Home Office Shredder is the best option for occasional use at home.
This shredder ran for six minutes—double its rated run time—before needing a cooldown break, and it even plowed through stacks of eight pieces of stapled paper.
It’s a bit noisier than our other picks, and the pull-off top means more cumbersome bin emptying, but this smaller shredder is more affordable, and it shreds pages to the same itty-bitty pieces as its larger siblings do.
