The Best 5Aggregated review·12 sources·updated October 10, 2026·checked October 10, 2026

Best Paper Shredders

The best paper shredders ranked by aggregate score from 12 published reviews.

This guide aggregates 12 published reviews across 5 products; the thinnest-sourced pick rests on 2. How we rank.

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Quick answer

Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder is our top pick for paper shredders — an averaged 5.0/5 across 1 published review at about $169.8. Runner-up: Fellowes Powershred 99Ci (~$299.99).

Read the Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder review →$169.8 · Check Price on Amazon

At a glance

Tap any product for the full review

#	Product	Rating	Price	Best for
1	Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper ShredderTop Pick	5.0 1 source	$169.8	busy office users needing high-volume micro-cut shredding	$169.8 · Check Price on Amazon
2	Fellowes Powershred 99Ci	4.7 2 sources	$299.99	A shared office that shreds daily and does not need micro-cut security.	$299.99 · Check Price on Amazon
3	Fellowes Powershred 79Ci	3.9 2 sources	$269.99	home offices with frequent large shredding jobs that do not need micro-cut security	$269.99 · Check Price on Amazon
4	Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Micro Cut Paper Shredder	3.9 1 source	$75	households that shred a few statements, cards or CDs at a time and want micro-cut security	$75 · Check Price on Amazon
5	Bonsaii C206-H	3.3 1 sourceall derived	$120	occasional home or small office users seeking reliability	$120 · Buy at bonsaiishop.com

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

At a glance5 products ▾

1Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper ShredderTop Pick

5.0

1 source

$169.8Best for: busy office users needing high-volume micro-cut shredding

$169.8 · Check Price on Amazon

2Fellowes Powershred 99Ci

4.7

2 sources

$299.99Best for: A shared office that shreds daily and does not need micro-cut security.

$299.99 · Check Price on Amazon

3Fellowes Powershred 79Ci

3.9

2 sources

$269.99Best for: home offices with frequent large shredding jobs that do not need micro-cut security

$269.99 · Check Price on Amazon

4Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Micro Cut Paper Shredder

3.9

1 source

$75Best for: households that shred a few statements, cards or CDs at a time and want micro-cut security

$75 · Check Price on Amazon

5Bonsaii C206-H

3.3

1 sourceall derived

$120Best for: occasional home or small office users seeking reliability

$120 · Buy at bonsaiishop.com

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

Reviews aggregated from

TechGearLabPCMagBobvilaForbesSterlingwConsumer Reports

The full ranking

How we rank →

Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder

#1 · Top Pick

Best for: busy office users needing high-volume micro-cut shredding

Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder

5.0

1 source$169.8as of Oct 11

The Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder sits at the top of the office shredder class on both capacity and security. TechGearLab credited its ability to shred up to 120 pages automatically while still cutting to micro-cut security. Bob Vila's review pointed to the powerful performance and quiet operation. TechGearLab flagged one limit — "The Aurora has one slight drawback: it doesn't shred CDs" — while reporting that credit cards do go into the paper slot and "come out in bits." Busy offices destroying documents in volume are the audience; anyone who needs to shred discs isn't.

Strengths

— Ultra high capacity with 120-sheet automatic shredding capability
— Quiet operation measuring 65 dB at a foot and a half away

Watch-outs

— Cannot shred CDs

▾Why it's ranked here

Strengths

— Ultra high capacity with 120-sheet automatic shredding capability
— Quiet operation measuring 65 dB at a foot and a half away

Watch-outs

— Cannot shred CDs

$169.8 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →vs. Fellowes Powershred 99Ci →

★ Premium Pick

Best for: A shared office that shreds daily and does not need micro-cut security.

Fellowes Powershred 99Ci

4.7

2 sources$299.99as of Oct 11

The Powershred 99Ci is a shared-office cross-cut shredder rated for 18 sheets a pass and 30 minutes of continuous running. PCMag made it an Editors' Choice in 2017, reporting no jams and unusually low noise, and TechGearLab ranked it 3rd of 15 shredders it tested. Forbes Vetted named it the best paper shredder overall in 2026. It is cross-cut rather than micro-cut, so PCMag advises against it for genuinely secret documents, and at $299.99 and 36 pounds it is a lot of machine for a single desk.

Strengths

— Rated for 18 sheets per pass with a 30-minute continuous run time before a 40-minute cooldown — PCMag called that "impressively long" in its 2017 test
— PCMag reported no jams at all in testing, and shredded plastic cards, staples, CDs and DVDs alongside paper

Watch-outs

— Cross-cut, not micro-cut: PCMag was explicit that it is "not secure enough for secret documents"
— Large and heavy — 36.4 lb and roughly the footprint of a large kitchen wastebasket, per TechGearLab

▾Why it's ranked here

Strengths

— Rated for 18 sheets per pass with a 30-minute continuous run time before a 40-minute cooldown — PCMag called that "impressively long" in its 2017 test
— PCMag reported no jams at all in testing, and shredded plastic cards, staples, CDs and DVDs alongside paper

Watch-outs

— Cross-cut, not micro-cut: PCMag was explicit that it is "not secure enough for secret documents"
— Large and heavy — 36.4 lb and roughly the footprint of a large kitchen wastebasket, per TechGearLab

$299.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →vs. Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder →

Best for: home offices with frequent large shredding jobs that do not need micro-cut security

Fellowes Powershred 79Ci

3.9

2 sources$269.99as of Oct 11

The Fellowes Powershred 79Ci is a 16-sheet cross-cut shredder built for volume. TechGearLab measured it at 140 sheets a minute, about double most shredders it tested, and ranked it first in its group for ease of use and noise; PCMag calls it a well-rounded, dependable personal office shredder. Both outlets jammed it at or above its rated capacity despite the jam-proof billing, and TechGearLab considers it expensive unless you shred in bulk.

Strengths

— 140 sheets per minute in TechGearLab's test, nearly double most models it tested
— Ranked first for ease of use by TechGearLab: bin-full light, pull-out bin, finger-touch safety sensor

Watch-outs

— Not as jam-proof as promised, per PCMag; TechGearLab found the real capacity was 14 sheets, not 16
— Casters are hard to attach and the lid is unusually heavy, per PCMag

▾Why it's ranked here

Strengths

— 140 sheets per minute in TechGearLab's test, nearly double most models it tested
— Ranked first for ease of use by TechGearLab: bin-full light, pull-out bin, finger-touch safety sensor

Watch-outs

— Not as jam-proof as promised, per PCMag; TechGearLab found the real capacity was 14 sheets, not 16
— Casters are hard to attach and the lid is unusually heavy, per PCMag

$269.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →vs. Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder →

Best for: households that shred a few statements, cards or CDs at a time and want micro-cut security

Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Micro Cut Paper Shredder

3.9

1 source$75as of Oct 17

A micro-cut shredder rated for eight sheets, with a 4-gallon pull-out bin and a separate CD slot. Wirecutter names it its budget pick, reporting that it never jammed on junk mail, credit cards or CDs and outperformed some models at twice the price. TechGearLab gives it its Best Bang for the Buck award, found it shreds 10 to 11 sheets despite the 8-sheet rating, and scored it 68/100, marking it down mainly for speed. It suits households with light, intermittent shredding; anyone clearing large backlogs should look elsewhere, because it stops after five minutes and needs a 30-minute rest.

Strengths

— Micro-cut blades handle paper, credit cards and CDs; Wirecutter saw it never jam
— Shreds beyond its 8-sheet rating: TechGearLab fed 10-sheet stacks easily and 11 with a slowdown

Watch-outs

— Runs only five minutes before a 30-minute cooldown, so it suits light, occasional jobs
— Slow: 41 sheets per minute at most and 9 seconds for a single sheet in TechGearLab's tests

▾Why it's ranked here

Strengths

— Micro-cut blades handle paper, credit cards and CDs; Wirecutter saw it never jam
— Shreds beyond its 8-sheet rating: TechGearLab fed 10-sheet stacks easily and 11 with a slowdown

Watch-outs

— Runs only five minutes before a 30-minute cooldown, so it suits light, occasional jobs
— Slow: 41 sheets per minute at most and 9 seconds for a single sheet in TechGearLab's tests

$75 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →vs. Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder →

Best for: occasional home or small office users seeking reliability

Bonsaii C206-H

3.3

1 sourceall derived$120as of Oct 10

The Bonsaii C206-H is a cross-cut shredder for a home office: twelve sheets a pass at P-4 security, into a four-gallon pull-out bin with a window that shows when it is full. Auto start/stop and a manual reverse handle the usual jams, and it takes staples, paper clips and credit cards along with paper. The motor runs fifteen minutes before it needs a forty-minute cooldown, which is the real ceiling on how much gets shredded in one sitting.

Strengths

— Features 15-minute run time with automatic shut-off to prevent overheating
— Includes a 4-gallon pullout waste bin with transparent window for easy monitoring

Watch-outs

— Limited to 15-minute operation before automatic cooldown

▾Why it's ranked here

Strengths

— Features 15-minute run time with automatic shut-off to prevent overheating
— Includes a 4-gallon pullout waste bin with transparent window for easy monitoring

Watch-outs

— Limited to 15-minute operation before automatic cooldown

$120 · Buy at bonsaiishop.com Full review →vs. Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder →

Reviews aggregated from

TechGearLabPCMagBobvilaForbesSterlingwConsumer Reports

Spec comparison

5 products

Spec	Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder	Fellowes Powershred 99Ci	Fellowes Powershred 79Ci	Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Micro Cut Paper Shredder	Bonsaii C206-H
Security Level	P-4	P-4	Cross-cut, about 0.16 x 1.3 in shreds (PCMag measurement)	—	P-4
Cut Type	microcut	Cross-cut, 5/32" x 1-1/2"	Cross-cut	Micro-cut (0.18 x 0.5 in)	Cross Cut
Sheet Capacity	120	18 sheets per pass	16 rated (14 in TechGearLab's test)	—	12 sheets
Bin Capacity	5 gallon	9 gallons (approx. 550 sheets), pull-out bin	6 gallons	4 gallons (15 litres)	4 gallons
Run Time	30 minutes	30 minutes continuous, 40-minute cooldown	20 minutes, 30-minute cool-down	5 minutes, 30-minute cooldown	15 minutes
Shred Speed	5.90 feet per minute	—	10 feet per minute	—	1.8m/min (8 sheets)
Noise Level	65 dB	—	—	—	72 dB
Dimensions	—	25.19" H x 11.44" W x 17.31" D	21.3 x 15.4 x 10.4 in (HWD)	13.2 x 8.9 x 18.1 in	—
Weight	—	36.4 lb	33.3 lb	14.2 lb	—

Spec	Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder	Fellowes Powershred 99Ci
Security Level	P-4	P-4
Cut Type	microcut	Cross-cut, 5/32" x 1-1/2"
Sheet Capacity	120	18 sheets per pass
Bin Capacity	5 gallon	9 gallons (approx. 550 sheets), pull-out bin
Run Time	30 minutes	30 minutes continuous, 40-minute cooldown
Shred Speed	5.90 feet per minute	—
Noise Level	65 dB	—
Dimensions	—	25.19" H x 11.44" W x 17.31" D
Weight	—	36.4 lb

Frequently asked questions

Which paper shredder should I buy?

Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder is the top pick for paper shredders — 5.0/5 averaged from 1 published reviews. The Aurora AU120MA 120-Sheet Auto Feed Micro-Cut Paper Shredder sits at the top of the office shredder class on both capacity and security. TechGearLab credited its ability to shred up to 120 pages automatically while still cutting to micro-cut security. Bob Vila's review pointed to the powerful performance and quiet operation. TechGearLab flagged one limit — "The Aurora has one slight drawback: it doesn't shred CDs" — while reporting that credit cards do go into the paper slot and "come out in bits." Busy offices destroying documents in volume are the audience; anyone who needs to shred discs isn't.

Is this paper shredder guide up to date?

This guide was last re-checked in October 2026. Prices, links, and source ratings are re-verified on a rolling basis, and the ranking updates when the underlying scores change.