Best 5 High-Security Cross & Micro Cut Paper Shredder Reviews
Do you need a shredder for cutting highly confident materials?
Then you should search for high-security shredder models!
Here you can find information about the shredder security levels and ratings, and read about important things to know when buying a model that has a high-security level. I will describe 5 models and every one of them is within one group of paper shredder security ratings. You can compare them and decide which one is best for you. I will also give you my opinion about the best model on the list.
Paper Shredder Security Levels
The security ratings for shredders are part of the official DIN 66399 standard for cutting paper. There are seven of them: DIN P-1, P-2, P-3, P-4, P-5, P-6, and P-7. A higher number means smaller particles which are harder to read, therefore you can shred more confident materials.
The basic paper shredder security levels are the P-1 and P-2. The strip-cut shredders mostly have shreds at these level, which are approximately 1/4” long strips. The level P-3 and P-4 are cross-cut shredder security levels that are suitable for confetti particles that are at least /32” wide and 2” long.
You can cut more confident material with these models. The higher levels P-5, P-6, and P-7 are the micro-cut shredder security levels. The P-5 and P-6 security-leveled models create shreds that are at least 5/64” wide and 5/16” long, so you can destroy highly confident materials.
The P-7 level has the Government approved high-security shredders that are suitable for destroying top secret and classified documents to shreds that are at least1/32” wide and 3/16” long.
Things To Know When Buying High-Security Paper Shredder Models
Which Cut Types Are The Most Secure Paper Shredder Models?
As I already mentioned, if you want the highest-security level you should buy a micro-cut model because they will make the smallest particles that are completely unreadable and convenient for highly classified materials. The cross-cutter will be enough for cutting personal information or confident business materials.
Additionally Safety Features
Besides the size of the particles, some shredders have additional functions that make the shredding even safer. For example, some models have a PIN safety lock that ensures the papers shredded are sealed in the device during the operation.
Versatile Shredding
If you want the best security shredder it should be able to cut many materials, not just paper. So search for the models that can cut paper clips and staples, CDs, DVDs, cardboard and credit cards.
Sheet And Bin Capacity
Also, both high security crosscut paper shredders and micro-cut shredders should have a certain sheet and bin capacity that suits your needs. If you’re running a big office, you should buy an automatic model with capacity bigger than 30 sheets. For any smaller office or home, it’s enough to have a smaller capacity model.
Overheat And Overload Protection
Buy the models that have certain thermal protection on the motor because that makes them longlasting. Beside the overheat protection, it’s desirable that it’s protected from overload. So if you put too much material in the device, the system will shut it down.
Best High-Security Shredder Reviews
Best Paper Shredder Security Level 3:
Ativa High-Security Cross-Cut Shredder
This model shreds material to particles that are 0.17” wide and 1.77” long. The cross-cut shredder security level 3 is enough o safely destroy any personal confident data or other business documents with sensitive information.
It will take up to 12 sheets of paper at once during the automatic shredding. Besides the paper, it can cut paper clips and staples, junk mail, CDs, DVDs and credit cards which makes this paper shredder security level 3 ideal for versatile shredding.
The feed is 8.66” wide. All the waste is accumulated in 4.23-gallon big wastebasket with the easy to open the lid. The shredder also has the safety lock feature, which locks the sensitive materials within the device during the cutting.
The shredding starts automatically after you insert the materials. Also, if you put too much of the sheets it will stop cutting to avoid any paper jams. In the case of the jams, the model has an automatic reverse function. Shredding speed is 6.07 feet per minute, which is very fast.
Another great user-friendly feature is the overheat protection that automatically stops the system if the motor gets overheated. The motor has thermal protection that enables the damages from overheating.
Continuous shredding lasts for 8 minutes, after that the system goes in the standby mode to cool down the motor. Blades are covered and the feed has sensors that stop the shredding if the hands are detected. The parts are covered with a 1-year limited warranty.
Best Cross-Cut Shredder Security Level 4:
Aurora High-Security Jam-free Shredder
This cross-cut shredder security level 4 model is ideal for cutting highly confident and sensitive personal and business information. The shreds are slightly smaller in comparison to the previous model. The cross-cut particles are 5/32” wide and 15/32” long, which are about 6 times smaller than typical cross-cuts.
It can cut CDs, DVDs, credit cards, paper clips and staples, junk mail, etc. The shreds are accumulated in the bin that’s 5 gallons big and easy to pull out. The device has shred continuously for 12 minutes before the motor’s cooling down period.
In case of overheating, the device will light the LED indicator and shut down. Unlike the previous model, this one also has the indicators for the overload, power, misaligned status and full bin. The feed will take up to 10-sheets at once.
If you overload it, the system of this paper shredder security level 4 model will shut down to avoid paper jams. If they happen, this model has advanced jam free technology which enables smooth shredding with automatic reverse that clears any jams.
The ShredSafe technology consists of sensors around the entry that will automatically shut down the device in case of forced entry with hands which prevents injuries. Another user-friendly feature that the previous model didn’t have is the energy-saving function.
It shuts down the system after 5 minutes of inactivity. Operation of this security level 4 shredder is very quiet, so this model is ideal for both office and home. Parts are covered with a 1-year limited warranty, while the cutters have a 5-year limited warranty.
The Best Paper Shredder Security Level 5:
HSM 411.2 Micro-Cut Shredder
This model has very small micro-cut particles that are 1/32” wide and 7/16” long. There are at a P-5 security level that lets you cut very highly sensitive and confident data. It has a big sheet capacity so it can take up to 19 sheets automatically.
The shredding starts immediately after you put the materials in the feed. However, it will automatically stop if the feed is overloaded with material which prevents jams from happening.
In case material is stuck in the feed, the automatic reverse function clears the paper jams. The system will also shut down if it’s overheated. To prevent overheating, this strong motor has thermal protection.
Unlike previous models, this one has a continuous shredding which means the motor doesn’t need a break from cutting which is ideal for a bigger office. Aso WhisperShred technology enables shredding without any noise so it’s perfect for both the office and home.
The cutting cylinders of this security micro-cut shredder are made from solid steel and they will destroy credit cards, CDs, DVDs, junk mail, paper clips and staples, paper, etc. This versatile shredding is very user-friendly.
Shreds are accumulated in the pull-out bin. The device is 33” long, 18” wide and 14” high. It weighs 230 pounds, so it’s heavy to carry, especially because it doesn’t have a wheel. The parts are covered with a 3-year limited warranty while cutting cylinders have a lifetime warranty.
Best High-Security Shredder Level 6:
SEM High-Security Cross-Cut Shredder
This high-security level 6 shredder is 1324C/3 NSA listed which makes it suitable for shredding top secret and classified documents. The shreds are 0.03” wide and 0.2” long which makes them completely unreadable.
The feed can take up to 7 sheets at once during the automatic shredding. When the material is inserted in the feed, shredding starts automatically. It can be also automatically stopped if the feed has too much material or in case of motor overheating.
Cutting cylinders are made from steel and they can shred paper, paper clips, and staples, junk mail, credit cards, CDs and DVDs, etc. The feed is 9.5” wide so any letter sized or bigger documents can be easily shredded with this security level 6 shredder.
It’s ideal for office use because of the quiet operation. The paper jams are cleared with the automatic reverse function. All the shreds are accumulated in the big bin that’s inside the cabinet with doors.
Great user-friendly feature of this shredder security level 6 model is the LED indicator for the full bin and the open door indicator. If the bin is full or cabinet doors open, the system won’t continue to shred.
The system has an energy saving mode which leads the device in the standby mode after a certain time of inactivity. The feed has the sensors which stop the shredding if the hand is detected. Also, it has electronic capacity control which previous models didn’t have.
It monitors the sheet capacity during the shredding and minimizes the print jams. The design is lightweight. It weighs only 43 pounds and it has wheels for easy moving from one side to another. The length is 11.5”, width is 15.5” and height is 25”.
Best Security Level 7 Shredder:
Dahle 41434 Model
This is one of the most secure shredder models on the list since it has the highest P-7 security level. As one of the maximum security shredders, it’s NSA/CSS 02-01 approved for top-secret data destruction.
Unlike the previous model, it has a great additional feature of the Dahle clean TEC filters that remove up to 98% of the harmful fine dust. This enables the longevity of the whole system. The device reads the paper in the micro-cut particles that are 0.04” wide and 0.19” long.
The blades can cut paper clips and staples, paper, junk mail, CDs, DVDs, credit cards, etc. They are continuously oiled with the automatic even flow lubricator so you don’t have to worry about the maintenance.
Another great user-friendly feature is the smart power energy management that reduces the consumption of electricity when the device is inactive. The chain driven motor has 2.7 HP so it’s very powerful.
Also, it’s resistant to overheat, so it can shred continuously without a break. Shredding speed is 22 feet per minute which is very fast. The shredding noise is at a low level of 52dB so this model is suitable for both home and office.
The jams are prevented with the overload protection that shuts down the system if you put too much material in it. The one that does happen is cleared with the automatic reverse function.The feed can take up to 10-sheets at once during the automatic shredding and is 10.25” wide.
Shreds are accumulated in the 38-gallon big wastebasket that’s very easy to empty. The device is 18.25” long, 21.5” wide and 36.75” high. It weighs 102 pounds, and it’s easy to move with the four lockable casters.
Conclusion: What’s The Best High-Security Shredder?
In my opinion, the best shredder is the Dahle model with the highest P-7 security level because it’s approved by Government for shredding top secret and classified documents. Besides that, it has many unique advanced features such as automatic oiler, the smart power energy management, TEC filter for dust and continuous shredding supported with chain driven motor. It’s easy to move with the lockable caster and its quiet performance makes this paper shredder ideal for big companies, smaller offices, and home use. Read other pretty impressive shredders in my post about best paper shredders on the market.
