Every day, individuals and businesses alike deal with a number of sensitive documents. From bank statements and tax documents to financial reports and voided checks, it is important to make sure that any private or confidential information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. The most secure way to dispose of these types of documents is by shredding them. If you want to choose the best paper shredder, consider all of the following factors as you shop:
1. What level of security do you need?
If you are just planning on shredding junk mail, you probably don’t need a high level of security. On the other hand, if you are shredding extremely sensitive documents for a business, you need to make sure that the shredded documents can’t easily be reassembled.
The way that a paper shredder cuts the paper determines the amount of security that it provides. The two basic types of shredders that are available are strip shredders and crosscut shredders.
As you might guess, strip shredders shred documents into long, thin strips. Although this is better than throwing the documents away completely intact, papers that have been shredded this way are relatively easy to reassemble. That means that strip shredders provide the lowest level of security.
Crosscut shredders, on the other hand, cut documents in both directions, resulting in small, confetti-like pieces. These documents are much harder to reassemble, meaning that this type of shredding is a lot more secure. The smaller the pieces created by the shredder, the more difficult they are to put back together.
Shredders are usually assigned a security level that ranges from P2 to P7, with P2 being the lowest level of security and P7 being the highest. Keep these numbers in mind to make sure that you buy a shredder that offers an adequate level of security for your needs.
2. How many documents do you want to be able to shred at the same time?
The most basic paper shredders are designed to shred a few pieces of paper at a time. More advanced models can shred larger stacks of paper. If you need to shred a lot of documents, going with a higher capacity shredder will make the process faster and easier. It is also a good idea to look for a paper shredder that has a large bin so that you don’t have to empty it as often.
3. What types of items do you want to shred?
While low-end paper shredders are only capable of shredding paper, higher-end machines can often shred other items, as well. For instance, some models can shred CDs, DVDs, credit cards, and other thick objects. You can also find shredders that are designed with wide slots that are large enough to accommodate folders, cardboard, or other bulky materials.
As with any product, it is important to look for a paper shredder that has good reviews. Additionally, you should shop for a machine that comes with a warranty so that you are covered if anything goes wrong.
By following this guide on how to choose a paper shredder, you should be able to find a high-quality shredder that provides you with the speed, capacity, and security that you need.