The Best Paper Shredder Under $100

After comparing four of the latest paper shredders from the top manufacturers, I’ve found that the best paper shredder under $100 is the Amazon Basics AU1208XB. I’ve spent eight years (give or take) in the office supplies field. After hours of research (asking customers, reading reviews, looking at Facebook groups, asking both suppliers and distributors) I ended up with five shredders.

Below I outline my experience with the best paper shredder under $100, comparing their features, storage, speed and other markers. There are a number of good paper shredders, but the best one for you will depend on your circumstance, so keep reading to find out which one you should choose.

Best Seller
Amazon Basics 12 Sheet Cross Cut...
Best Home
Dentoleid Paper Shredder for Home...
Best Office
Paper Shredder,VidaTeco 14-Sheet...
Title
Amazon Basics AU1208XB
Dentoleid 12-Sheet High-Security Shredder
VidaTeco 14-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder
Sheet Capacity
12-Sheet
12-Sheet
14-Sheet
Security Level
P-3
P-4
P-3
Credit Cards
Cut Type
Cross-Cut
Cross-Cut
Cross-Cut
Waste Bin
4.8 Gallon
5.8 Gallon
6.6 Gallon
Prime
-
Best Seller
Amazon Basics 12 Sheet Cross Cut...
Title
Amazon Basics AU1208XB
Sheet Capacity
12-Sheet
Security Level
P-3
Credit Cards
Cut Type
Cross-Cut
Waste Bin
4.8 Gallon
Prime
Best Home
Dentoleid Paper Shredder for Home...
Title
Dentoleid 12-Sheet High-Security Shredder
Sheet Capacity
12-Sheet
Security Level
P-4
Credit Cards
Cut Type
Cross-Cut
Waste Bin
5.8 Gallon
Prime
-
Best Office
Paper Shredder,VidaTeco 14-Sheet...
Title
VidaTeco 14-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder
Sheet Capacity
14-Sheet
Security Level
P-3
Credit Cards
Cut Type
Cross-Cut
Waste Bin
6.6 Gallon
Prime

The Best Paper Shredders Under $100

Amazon Basics 12 Sheet Cross Cut...
  • Cross-cut shredder turns paper into confetti-like pieces measuring 3/16 by 1-9/16 inches (5 by 40...
  • Shreds up to 12 sheets of 20-pound bond paper at a time; also destroys credit cards (one at a time,...
  • 7 minutes on / 30 minutes off; if shredder runs continuously beyond the max run time, it will...
  • 4-mode power switch (auto, off, reverse, forward); auto start and anti-jam auto reverse to...
  • Quality tested: as part of Amazon Basics quality inspections, we test every shredder before shipping...

The Amazon Basics AU1208XB is a cross-cut shredder made by Amazon that can shred twelve documents simultaneously: including credit cards, staples, and paper clips. It has four modes: auto, forward, reverse, and off. Users can change this from the switch located at the top of the shredder. What’s more, this Amazon Basics model included things like easy start (automatically detects paper), reverse mode (can be shut down mid-way through shredding a document), and thermal protection (prevents overheating). When it comes to security, our tests found it to be pretty baseline (rated P-3, which’s relatively standard). After the fact, we looked at the shredded document, and it was all right—with the pieces being small enough to provide peace of mind. We wouldn’t recommend it for businesses. Although not ground-breaking, Amazon set the standard regarding paper shredders having built-in glass windows. Although nowadays, these have become relatively common in the industry. In addition, it can handle a large workload—able to process up to 600 sheets/day and run for 30 minutes continuously. The spacious 4.8 Gallon wastebin is better than the industry standard, probably enough—unless you plan to run a paper-shredding business.

Bonsaii Paper Shredder for Home...
  • 【P-4 High Security】This cross cut paper shredder can shred up to 12 sheets paper per time and...

The Bonsaii 12-Sheet Paper Shredder will cost you a bit more (about $10 at the time of writing) than its main competitor—the Amazon Basics AU1208XB. The two shredders are vastly different, even in the way they shred (one’s cross-cut, the other’s micro-cut)—you’d think they’d at least shred the same. As the name indicates, it can handle twelve sheets simultaneously; businesses, offices, or avid paper consumers will all find this model suit their needs. Our tests revealed that the shredder lasts about four minutes, unlike the Amazon product page’s five minutes. What’s more, we didn’t smell any burning plastic odour whilst shredding any documents—unfortunately, that ‘burning plastic’ smell is all-to-common with many paper shredders.

A lesser-known brand in the industry, Dentoleid (originally a dental company), has begun retailing its first paper shredder—I guess that’s where we are now. Although the sales page is somewhat vague (not even providing the model number), we’ll try to give our straightforward opinion. In this case, the Dentoleid has one-upped its competition—the only shredder on this list securing a P-4 security level. Like many other cross-cut shredders within this price range, its design is somewhat simplistic—not always a bad thing. Its exterior is made of a basic plastic design, with a glass panel on the front. However, the first Amazon Basics model did the sight-glass better; it’s larger and clearer. Unfortunately, the shredding speed is slow—handling about four metres of paper per minute (including credit cards). Weirdly enough, Dentoleid decided to make an extensive 5.8 Gallon wastebin to store the shredded paper, even despite the speed. Taking into account aspects such as basket size, security level, shredding speed and cut type, this is a product I would suggest for household environments.

Paper Shredder,VidaTeco 14-Sheet...
  • Longer Life Span: The US patented cutter can prevent 99% damages to shredder from paper jams and...
  • P-3 High Security level: This crosscut paper shredder takes max 14-sheet of 20-pound bond paper down...
  • Convenient Design: The shredder has 3-mode control switches (Auto, Off, Rev); Auto start, stop and...
  • 5 Minutes Shredding: This paper shredder features extra fast shredding speed with 5 minutes running...
  • Easy Emptying: This heavy duty paper shredder comes with 6.6 gallons bin and portable handle that...

Suppose a twelve-sheet shredder won’t cut it because of the number of papers you need to shred. In that case, the VidaTeco 14-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder is a step-up—with a fourteen-sheet capacity. Initially, I was worried: VidaTeco’s a lesser-known brand; what if it starts producing a burning plastic smell? Or begins to overheat? Or it quite literally blows up! After a minute, I got a hold of myself and tested the shredder out. To my surprise, it’s all that VidaTeco was chalked up to be. Most of my worries were set aside when testing the shredder. Although costing slightly more than other shredders on this list (about $5 to $15 more), it makes up for it; thermal protection, CD or DVD shredding, safety protection, and I’m just getting started. I could list the features for hours, but I’m conscious of time, so let’s settle with a quick statement; the traits of this shredder are the best on this list. The hallmark of such is its shredding speed and capacity—both the fastest and largest on this list. It shreds fourteen documents into oblivion. Afterwards, being sent to its 5.6 Gallon wastebin. But how easy is it to empty out and clean the shredded paper after the fact? We’re not totally impressed on this front—to empty it; you’ll have to first take off the top panel (which is somewhat clunky). What’d make this model better is adding a pull-out wastebasket, which users can take out—in contrast to having to take the entire shredder with you to empty. VidaTeco’s design choices with this model make it ideal for more demanding customers—ideal for both offices and (entire) business.

Fellowes 3103201 Powershred W11C,...
  • Shreds 11 sheets of paper per pass into 431 (5/32 x1-3/8" Security Level P-4) cross-cut particles;...
  • Runs for up to 5 minutes before a cool down period is needed
  • Patented SafetyLock disables the shredder for added safety protection
  • Provides reliable, medium duty shredding and is ideal for deskside use.
  • 4.75- gallon lift-off head w/ handle. Amps - 5

The Fellowes 3103201 Powershred does an excellent job of accomplishing what it’s design for: filling all the needs of a regular household. Although a step down from other models, it can shred eleven sheets into confetti—of not just paper: CDs, paper clips, and staples can be shredded too. No need to unstaple your document beforehand. What’s more, the Fellowes 3103201 is virtually silent—while still able to run for 20 minutes (with anti-jam protection). The machine has a 4.75-gallon wastebasket that’s removable—not the largest I’ve seen, but definitely not the smallest. Features like these have raised industry standards, resulting in improved paper shredders. I’ve faced the facts; many people want an unobtrusive paper shredder—usually placing it in the corner of a room, out of sight. A role that the slim design of the Fellowes 3103201  fits.

Comparison

Thumbnail
Best Seller
Amazon Basics 12 Sheet Cross Cut...
Bonsaii Paper Shredder for Home...
Best Home
Dentoleid Paper Shredder for Home...
Best Office
Paper Shredder,VidaTeco 14-Sheet...
Fellowes 3103201 Powershred W11C,...
Title
Amazon Basics AU1208XB
Bonsaii 12-Sheet Paper Shredder
Dentoleid
VidaTeco 14-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder
Fellowes 3103201
Tabletop/Portable
Home Use
Office Use
Prime
-
-
-
Best Seller
Thumbnail
Amazon Basics 12 Sheet Cross Cut...
Title
Amazon Basics AU1208XB
Tabletop/Portable
Home Use
Office Use
Prime
Thumbnail
Bonsaii Paper Shredder for Home...
Title
Bonsaii 12-Sheet Paper Shredder
Tabletop/Portable
Home Use
Office Use
Prime
-
Best Home
Thumbnail
Dentoleid Paper Shredder for Home...
Title
Dentoleid
Tabletop/Portable
Home Use
Office Use
Prime
-
Best Office
Thumbnail
Paper Shredder,VidaTeco 14-Sheet...
Title
VidaTeco 14-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder
Tabletop/Portable
Home Use
Office Use
Prime
Thumbnail
Fellowes 3103201 Powershred W11C,...
Title
Fellowes 3103201
Tabletop/Portable
Home Use
Office Use
Prime
-

The Research

Advantages of Having a Paper Shredder

The quality and efficiency of your shredder will depend on your budget. Some shredders host an oversupply of useful features—others, none at all. No matter what paper shredder you choose to go with, it’ll always have the ability to shred paper—about the most self-explanatory sentence I’ve ever written. But nowadays, you’ll often see higher-quality models with many added benefits. Shredding sensitive documents all but prevents a criminal from stealing your identity, not to mention shredding credit cards. Define Financial found that identity fraud losses almost doubled from 2019 to 2020. With this in mind, it makes sense that nowadays, most US citizens know at least one victim of identity theft (with 10% of them being one themselves).

Are Shredders Under $100 Reliable

I know what many of you are thinking: all I want is a shredder that shreds—fair enough. Unfortunately, that kind of thinking will lead you to purchase a shredder like this. The page title indicates you’ve probably got a budget of around $100—a good amount of money. I’m sure you don’t want to buy a shredder that will break within a year, let alone a month. But let’s look at the facts; some models are more delicate than others—that’s why we made this guide; in my eight years of experience, do you know how many shredders have broken on me? Five—you’d think I’d learn after my second one; almost every time, I chose to go with a shredder under $50, which is not a great choice in hindsight. I remember buying my fifth shredder for under $100 (the first time spending so much cash on a paper shredder); I thought I was crazy for spending so much on an online store (which later turned out to be the Amazon). But the shredder I bought that day, that’s the one I still have now.

Popular Brands

Some of the most popular paper shredder brands are featured in this list—think Amazon Basics, Fellowes, and Aurora. But you’d be surprised—before writing this article, I hadn’t heard of many of them. Yes, I knew the big ones, but not brands like Dentoleid—In hindsight, that was fair enough. Dentoleid turned out to be an oral-care company turned paper shredder supplier—life’s a bit strange.

Where to Buy

Although both overwhelming and exciting, browsing the uninhabited jungles of amazon.com contains endless product pages detailing why their product is the best. Most of the time, this is not the case—products break, are made cheaply, or are not what you thought they’d be. Although you can dive into the depths of Amazon headfirst, we’d suggest you read our buying guide.

Shredding Capacity

Always make sure the shredder you’re about to buy fits your needs—one person will need less than a small business owner. Depending on the size of your organization or family, you’ll need:

  • 4-6 People: A 16-sheet shredder is needed.
  • 3-4 People: A 12-sheet shredder is needed.
  • 1-2 People: A 8-sheet shredder is needed.

Documents the Shredder Can Cut

The compared shredders will be able to cut through most materials—whether DVDs, CDs, or Staples. Depending on the type of shredder, it’ll have a particular slot for inserting the CDs or DVDs to shred them. Many are even able to shred expired credit cards. Once they’ve expired, you’ll no longer have to keep any of them with you—thus, avoiding any risk of identity theft or other privacy concerns.

Remember to check the capacity of your shredder’s waste bin—trust me, you don’t want a small one. We suggest you follow these guidelines:

  • Under 5 Gallons: two people or less.
  • 6-8 Gallons: three to five people per day. 
  • Over 8 Gallons: more than five people a day.

Features

Whatever paper shredder you decide to buy, you’ll want to look at the machine’s features—especially the case for the anti-jam function, which you’ll want. Without this feature, you’ll have to engage in a lengthy unjamming process every time you feed the shredder incorrectly.

Other functions include…

  • Easy Start: turns on automatically once it detects a document above its blades.
  • Reverse Mode: shuts down mid-way through shredding a document so that you can recover the remaining piece.
  • Thermal Protection: automatically turns themselves off if they sense that their motor is too hot.
  • Easy-to-Use Interface: can be operated easily.

Runner Ups

For the under $100 price range, there are many good options. After researching, we then ordered many off Amazon to sample. The best have already been featured on this list—I thought it would be fair to write about the runner-ups. It would be unfair for the brands not to. I was impressed with the Bonsaii C221-A and the Aurora AU820MA (we have already reviewed both). Compared to most shredders, these met many standards.

People Also Ask

In all our time reviewing Paper Shredders, we have found a few common questions, that we believe would relate to what shredder you decide to buy when looking for the best paper shredder under $100.

The Verdict: The Best Paper Shredder Under $100

Overall, we found the paper shredders shown on this list to be the Best Paper Shredders Under $100. These shredders were from brands such as Aurora, AmazonBasics, and Fellowes — all with their own Pros and Cons. This list featured both strip-cut and cross-cut paper shredders, with high-security, and full 8-sheet to 12-sheet capacities. These paper shredders had a long run time and were able to efficiently shred through sensitive information.

Some shredders were smaller, such as the Aurora AU800SD, others were designed for a small business owner. Unfortunately, no micro-cut shredders were available on this list, due to no shredder under $100 being able to do so.

Thanks for reading our guide on the Best Paper Shredder Under $100.