Do you want to get rid off all the junk mail in your house or office?
And you want to know more about mail shredder offer on the market?
Then this is the right article for you to read! Here I will write about the main important things you should know when searching for the best model for you. Also, I will describe 5 best models on the market within each category. You can compare them and decide which one would be ideal for you. I will also give my opinion about which model is the best one for shredding junk mail.
Things To Know Before Buying Mail Shredder
Type Of Cut And Security Level
For the junk mail, you don’t have to buy a high security-leveled device. However, it’s better to buy a cross-cut model than strip-cut because they have a higher security level in case you want to shred other documents with personal information.
The Blade Strength
The steel blade is the best for junk mail shredding since it’s the strongest. If you search for a model that effectively destroys mail, look for the one with separated slots for CDs, credit cards and documents. These ensure cutting area longevity and durability.
Can It Shred Other Things?
Every best mail shredder will also be capable to shred other materials such as other paper, paper clips, and staples, CDs, DVDs, credit cards, cardboard, etc. Therefore you can be sure that the device will be useful for other things too.
Sheet And Bin Capacity
According to other mail shredder reviews, if you want to shred mail you don’t have to buy a model with a high sheet or bin capacity. However, you will surely cut other types of documents so it’s desirable if it has at least 6-sheet capacity and 2-gallon bin volume.
Best Mail Shredder Reviews
Best Shredder For Junk Mail
Swingline 12-Sheet Paper Shredder
This junk mail shredder has a specially designed blade that it’s ideal for shredding junk mail. It has a special entry feed for CDs and DVDs which ensures that the blade doesn’t wear off and gets damaged.
In the paper feed, you can put up to 12-sheets of paper which will be automatically shredded. You don’t have to remove paper clips and staples from the documents. However, is better to shred junk mail manually to avoid any paper jams.
If paper jams do happen, the system has a manual reverse function. This Duo model has a cutter that cut paper in two directions which reduces the jams a lot. Cross-cut shreds are small enough to be unreadable, therefore this model is at the P-4 security level.
So you can shred other confident material that isn’t junk mail without worry. The credit cards can also be shredded easily, but you must put them manually one by one in the entry feed.
One letter sized sheet is shredded into more than 400 pieces. To ensure that the motor is long-lasting, the system has its cool-down period after 4 minutes of constant shredding. A very unique feature is the indicator that shows you when the device is in the standby mode and when it’s ready to work again.
The shreds are accumulated into the 5-gallon wastebasket that’s very easy to lift-off and empty. It doesn’t have an indicator that shows you when to empty it, but you can easily track the waste level through the transparent window.
It’s 19” long, 10.8” wide and 18.6” high. Its dimensions are great for both the office and home. It doesn’t have wheels for better mobility, but it weighs only 12.16 pounds so it’s lightweight and easy to carry. Parts are covered with a 2-year limited warranty.
Best Small Mail Shredder
AmazonBasics 6-Sheet Cross-Cut Model
It doesn’t have a separated entry feed for CDs and DVDs as the previous model, but it has strong enough blades to cut credit cards and junk mail together with ordinary paper, paper clips and staples, and other documents.
Junk mail and credit cards should be cut manually. Put them one by one in the feed to avoid paper jams and damages on blades. During automatic shredding, the device can take up to 6-sheet at once. Paper feed is 8.7” wide.
One sheet is cut in cross-cut particles that are 7/32” wide and 1-27/32” long. They’re enough for shredding ordinary documents or material with personal information, but don’t have a high-security level for confident materials.
This is the light-duty model, ideal for small businesses and home. Its size is very compact and it will fit anywhere. It’s 12.1” long, 7.7” wide and 15” high. It weighs 8 pounds so it’s very lightweight and easy to carry.
The motor is protected from overheating with the cooling down period. It can run constantly for 2 minutes and then it goes into the standby mode for 30 minutes. Also, the motor has thermal protection, so it will automatically go off if it’s overheated.
The noise level during the shredding is around 70dB. Shreds are accumulated in the wastebasket that’s 3.8 gallon big. It doesn’t have an indicator, so you can track the waste level through the transparent window.
Shredding will start automatically after you put the paper inside the feed. In case paper jams happen you can clear them with the manual reverse function. The manufacturer offers a 1-year limited warranty on all parts.
Best Big Mail Shredder
Fellowes Powershred 18-Sheet Model
This is one of the big models available on the market. It can shred up to 18-sheets at once when the automatic function is turned on. Therefore, it’s a great choice if you want to put more envelopes of junk mail at once into the feed.
The security level is P-4 which is high and suitable for shredding confident material. So if you want to cut important personal information or other sensitive content besides the junk mail, this is a great choice.
One sheet is cut into 397 cross-cut particles that are 5/32” wide and 1-1/2” long. Beside junk mail and paper, this model can also shred staples, clips, credit cards, CDs and DVDs. The great user-friendly feature is the separated feed for CDs and DVDs, so the blade doesn’t get damaged.
CDs, DVDs and credit cards must be shredded manually and put them in the feed one by one. The motor longevity is ensured with cooling down period that lasts for 40 minutes after the device shreds continuously for 30 minutes.
Another advanced feature that this model has is the 100% anti-jam system than clears all paper jams with the automatic reverse function. Also, the device will stop if overloaded with paper or junk mail, which prevents jams.
SafeSense technology is made of the sensor around the paper feed. When they detect a hand, the device automatically stops shredding. Therefore you’re safe from injuries. When they detect paper, shredding starts automatically.
Shreds are accumulated in the big 9-gallon pull-out wastebasket. The great practical feature that not all models have is the LED bin indicator that shows you when it’s time to empty the bin. The noise level is around 56 dB.
The device is suitable for 1-3 users. It’s 17.3” long, 11.4” wide and 25.2” high. It’s a big model that weighs around 39.1 pounds. It’s heavy but it also has wheels that ensure easy transport if needed. Parts are covered with 2-years limited warranty.
Best Office Mail Shredder
Bonsaii C149-C Model
Bonsaii model is great for the office because it’s heavy-duty. This means it can shred continuously for a very long time. It has advanced patented cooling system technology that allows 60 minutes of constant shredding without stopping.
After one hour, cooling down period lasts only 10 minutes. Beside junk mail, it can shred paper, paper clips and staples, CDs, DVDs, and credit cards so you can be sure that with this model you can do versatile cutting in your office.
Although it doesn’t have separated entry for CDs and DVDs, the device is highly efficient.It cross-cuts the paper into particles that are 1/5” wide and 1-50/87” long. This means it has a high-security level so you can cut even the confident material.
During the automatic shredding, the device can take up to 18 sheets at once. Shredding speed is 5.3 feet per minute. The paper feed is 8.7” wide so any letter-sized or legal-sized documents will be easily shredded without folding.
You won’t hear it shredding because the low noise level is around 62dB which is ideal for the office. Another very user-friendly feature ideal for the office are the 4 casters that make it easy to move it from one side of the office to another.
Shreds are accumulated into the pull-out bin that is 6-gallon big, which is slightly smaller in comparison to the previous model. Also, it doesn’t have an LED indicator for full bin so you have to see the level of waste through a visible window.
The system has to overheat and overloading protection. Which means that the device will shut down if the motor is overheated or if there is too much material in the cutting area. Shredding will begin immediately after you put the paper in the feed because of the auto start function.
In case paper jams happen, this model has an automatic reverse function that clears the jams easily. The device is 14.2” long, 11.2” wide and 21.5” high. It weighs 23.1 pounds. All parts are covered with a 1-year limited warranty.
Best Home Mail Shredder
Aurora AU1200XD 12-Sheet Model
The length is 13.2”, width is 9.9” and the height is 11.8”. These dimensions are space-saving for any working desk or floor. Therefore this desktop model is ideal for home, and it has many other great features.
It weighs 17.2 pounds and it doesn’t have wheels, but it’s not too heavy for carrying. The feed will take up to 12-sheets at once during the automatic function. It’s great for shredding junk mail, paper with staples and clips.
Although it separated entry for CDs and DVDs, the model has strong blades that will cut credit cards, CDs, and DVDs. Just put them manually in the feed one by one to avoid jams. Paper feed is 8.7” wide. If paper jams happen, the device has an anti-jam automatic reverse function.
Shredding lasts for 5 minutes continuously, and then the system goes in the standby mode for cooling down period. The shreds are 5/32” wide and 1-7/32” long. The cross-cut particles are unreadable and at the P-4 security level.
So, if you want you can use it to shred other confident materials beside junk mail which is very user-friendly. The paper feed has sensors that are part of ShredSafe technologies that prevent injuries while shredding. The device starts to cut material automatically after you insert it.
In case of overload, the system will automatically stop shredding to avoid any paper jams. The shreds are accumulated in 1.8- gallon big bin. The LED indicators show you when it’s full. Very quiet operation makes it ideal for home use. It also has a standby, overheat, overload and door open LED indicator.
Conclusion: What’s The Best Mail Shredder?
In my opinion, the best mail shredder is the Swingline 12-sheet model. It has a duo blade that cuts in two directions and it’s ideal for cutting junk mail. A special entry for CDs/DVDs ensures the longevity of the blade. It has compact dimensions for both office and home, while the high-security level supports shredding of all kinds of material, not only junk mail. This is not the only choice so read my post about best paper shredders and find the best heavy-duty shredder for you.