Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best Paper Shredders
Fellowes Powershred 99Ci4.7
3 sources$300.01as of Aug 20The 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
- — Unusually quiet for its class: PCMag noted most shredders are "loud enough to be disruptive to nearby workers, but not the 99Ci"
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
- — Expensive at $299.99, and PCMag measured 13.1 ft/min — good, but slower than its Editors' Choice pick at the time
