The 6 Best Paper Shredders for Staples and Paper Clips of 2026, Ranked & Reviewed

Our verdict: Confirmed staple tolerance with a long 20-minute run.

The Amazon Basics 15-Sheet takes 15 sheets per pass with a P-4 cross-cut and an 8.7-inch entry. It handles staples, small paper clips, CDs and credit cards, runs 20 minutes continuously and has a 6-gallon bin. Run time is the spec that matters here: a shredder overheats and shuts down, so a long run means you finish a stack before it cools.

It ranks first because it doubles the Bonsaii 15-Sheet's 10 minute run and adds a larger bin, at 6 gallons against 5.5. The Aurora runs longer, but cuts only 12 sheets per pass. The tradeoff is price: it sits in the $100 to $200 bucket.

Buy it for a household with regular paperwork. The caveat is cost, and the manual feed means you stand and feed it.

Capacity

15 sheets

Cut

P-4 cross-cut

Run time

20 minutes

Bin

6 gallons

Our verdict: Alloy cutters and the same 15 sheets for under $100.

The Bonsaii 15-Sheet has a P-4 cross-cut, alloy cutters and explicit handling of staples, clips, cards and CDs or DVDs. It runs 10 minutes and has a 5.5-gallon bin with a safety interlock. Alloy cutters matter because staples are hard steel, and cutter metal decides how long the blades stay sharp.

It ranks below the Amazon Basics 15-Sheet for half the run time and a smaller bin, but it costs a bracket less, in the $50 to $100 range. It also beats the Amazon Basics 12-Sheet on capacity and security level, since that model drops to P-3. The interlock stops the cutters if the bin is removed.

Buy it for staple-heavy use on a budget. The caveat is the 10 minute run time, which suits short sessions and not a full desk clear-out.

Capacity

15 sheets

Cutters

Alloy

Run time

10 minutes

Bin

5.5 gallons

Our verdict: Micro-cut security with a 60-minute run time.

The Aurora AU1210MA is a 12-sheet P-4 micro-cut shredder that destroys CDs, credit cards and paper clips. It runs 60 minutes continuously, has a 5-gallon bin and anti-jam auto-reverse. Micro-cut produces far smaller particles than cross-cut, so shredded financial or medical records are much harder to reassemble.

It ranks third because micro-cut gives up capacity compared with the 15-sheet models, but nothing here runs longer. The hour-long run is three times the Amazon Basics 15-Sheet's 20 minutes. Against the Bonsaii 12-Sheet, it adds security and a four-fold longer run.

Buy it for sensitive documents and big batches. The caveat is the $100 to $200 price and the 12-sheet limit, which means more passes on thick stacks.

Capacity

12 sheets

Cut

P-4 micro-cut

Run time

60 minutes

Bin

5 gallons

Our verdict: A jam-proof reverse made for clearing staple snags.

This Bonsaii takes 12 sheets with a P-4 cross-cut and a jam-proof reverse for clearing staple and clip snags. It runs 15 minutes, about 900 sheets per cycle, with a 5.5-gallon bin. A reverse function turns a jam from a teardown into a button press, which is how staple snags are best handled.

It ranks below the 15-sheet picks on capacity but offers a longer run than the Bonsaii 15-Sheet, 15 minutes against 10. It also lists a reverse function, which the Amazon Basics 12-Sheet does not. At $50 to $100 it costs about the same as those rivals.

Buy it if you worry about jams or clear staples constantly. The caveat is the 12-sheet limit, so thick stacks need splitting.

Capacity

12 sheets

Run time

15 minutes

Volume

About 900 sheets per cycle

Bin

5.5 gallons

Our verdict: Staple-tolerant P-3 cross-cut for under $100.

The Amazon Basics 12-Sheet is a manual feed P-3 cross-cut that handles staples, small paper clips and credit cards. It runs 9 minutes and has a 5-gallon bin. P-3 is a lower security tier than P-4: its particles are bigger, so shredded text is easier to piece together.

It ranks below the Bonsaii 12-Sheet for a shorter run, 9 minutes against 15, and no stated reverse feature. It matches the Bonsaii on capacity and bracket. What it offers is the Amazon Basics name and credit card shredding, which suits households that mostly destroy junk mail.

Buy it for everyday home shredding of low-sensitivity paper. The caveat is the P-3 level, so skip it for financial or medical records.

Capacity

12 sheets

Cut

P-3 cross-cut

Run time

9 minutes

Bin

5 gallons

Our verdict: The cheapest way to get confirmed staple tolerance.

The Amazon Basics 8-Sheet is a P-4 cross-cut with 5x18mm particles that handles staples, small paper clips and credit cards. It runs 3 minutes and has a 3.7-gallon bin. Fine 5x18mm particles give it better security than the P-3 12-Sheet despite the lower price.

It ranks last for low capacity and short run, but it is the lowest priced pick at $25 to $50 and the only compact one. Three minutes means it stops mid-stack, and a 3.7-gallon bin fills fast. The Bonsaii 15-Sheet costs more but runs more than three times longer.

Buy it for light use, like a few pages and the occasional card. The caveat is endurance: do not plan to clear a filing cabinet with it.

Capacity

8 sheets

Particles

5x18mm

Run time

3 minutes

Bin

3.7 gallons