Paper shredders review

04.What to look for

Strip-cut or cross-cut?

• Strip-cut shredders cut A4 paper lengthways into 6–7 mm wide strips. Cross-cut shredders cut it into much smaller pieces (around 22–50 mm long and 4 mm wide) and are regarded as being much more secure.
• Overall, in this test, the cross-cut models worked better, but there were a couple of standout strip-cut models.
• While two of our top performers are strip-cut models, the other strip-cuts we tested didn’t fare so well. The bottom three models (all strip-cut) often left relatively large strips of paper uncut if the paper wasn’t fed squarely into the centre of the slot.
• If you want to shred your old credit cards a cross-cut model is probably the best bet. While a strip-cut model might be able to do this, if you feed the card in lengthways, the number could be left intact on the strip.
• All the shredders tested should only be used continuously for 2–10 minutes at a time. The shredder then has to be rested for between four and 30 minutes. Some shredders also place limits on the maximum number of sheets of paper shredded per day.

Be safety conscious

• One of the biggest concerns with shredders is the possibility of children touching the shredder’s blades.
• We used two probes (one the size of the finger of a child aged over three and the other of a child under three) to see if either could fit into the feed slot. The over-three finger didn’t fit into any of the slots but the under-three one could fit into the feed slot and reach the blades of three of the strip-cut models: the FELLOWES Safe Shred SC5+, OFFICE ONE VS502SB and TDE SYSTEMS SC103.
• Strip cut shredders have guards on top and underneath to keep your fingers from the blades. Cross cut shredders are guarded only on top, and rely on a safety switch to prevent them operating when you lift them from the bin. It's best to unplug them when you are emptying the bin.
• If you have small children and/or pets it’s a good idea to keep your shredder off the floor, look for a model with a safety lock on the controls and unplug it when you’re not using it. In this test two of the FELLOWES models — the P45-C and P-55C — have a safety lock. Don’t let children operate the shredder, even under adult supervision.
• Also make sure the shredder has an ‘off’ switch. One model in the test (HSM S10) doesn’t, so unless you switch it off at the power point it’ll start as soon as something is placed into the feed slot. We suggest you choose the HSM S10 only if you have an easily accessible power point so it's easy to turn off.
• Also keep neckties and long hair well away from the feed slot.

Other features

• Controls should be easy to use and well labelled.
• Controls should include off, auto-start (where the shredder starts when something is placed in the feed slot), and reverse (for freeing jams) positions.
• Check how easy it is to remove the head to empty the bin. We found some were heavy and difficult to grip. Strip-cut models will need their bin emptied more often than cross-cut ones because they produce bulkier waste.
• Check whether the shredder is stable. We found some were very easily knocked over.