Due to the rise in identity theft and fraud, properly destroying sensitive information has become more important in any business or home. Paper Shredders would be the best device for protection and confidentiality. There are some factors that you need to consider when choosing the right shredder for your particular needs.

Determine Shred level for your security requirement:

Cut type - Different types of shred cuts provide different security levels. The smaller the cut size, the higher the security level.

Strip-cut shredders cut documents into long, thin strips vertically with 1/4-inch width. This type of shredding provides the lowest level of security, but may be a good choice for home and business uses with information that is not highly sensitive.
Cross-cut shredders cut horizontally and vertically and turn your documents into particles that become extremely difficult to reassemble and retrieve sensitive information. This type of shredding can be useful for confidential documents. The shredded material compresses better which also takes up less space, so more paperwork could be shredded before you empty the wastebasket. A cross-cut paper shredder features higher security and is preferable for home/companies with sensitive information to protect.
Micro-cut shredders offer the highest level of security and document sensitivity. They can shred a letter size paper into over 1600 tiny pieces which is impossible to retrieve information. This cut type is usually popular with government agencies or companies who have a high risk of secret information that someone trying to steal from.

Consider shredding capacity:

Shredding capacity refers to the number of sheets of paper that you can shred at once. This is also one of the factors affecting shred rate; choose a machine that has a shredding capacity that suits your needs:

Light use : 6 to 8 sheets

Medium use : 10 to 12 sheets

Heavy use : 14 sheets and above

Estimate Shred volume:

Find out the amount of daily usage you think you’ll need. This is usually determined by how many people will use the shredder on daily basis.

Personal : 1 user

Professional : 1 to 3 users

Commercial : 4 to 8 users

Decide what types of material you need to shred: In addition to paper, some shredders can also handle additional media as credit cards, CDs, and DVDs. Look for the shredder that has the capabilities for all your extra needs.

Look for good safety features:

Safety features that provide various levels of protection are important especially for the environments with children or pets. Most Aurora shredders have Proactive Safety Features to ensure safer shredding experience.

1. Shred Safe: Auto power-off when forced entry is detected to prevent accident.

2. Touch Guard: Stops shredding immediately when bioelectricity sensor detects bio-based object, for example, your hands are too close to the paper entry.

Additional features:

There are a variety of other features to enhance performance that worth considering and looking for when you choose a shredder.

1. Jam-Free Feature: Electronic density monitoring system indicates over capacity feeding. Shredder will not operate if over capacity is detected, prevent paper jams.

2. Anti Clog: a Jam Prevention feature; Customized high-sensitivity torque-sensor, monitoring overcapacity, immediate Auto-Reverse to prevent paper jams.

3. Energy Saving: automatically powers off after a preset idle time for energy saving.

4. Auto-restart: Instant wake by simply inserting paper without powering up. Zero energy consumption in standby mode.

5. Advanced Motor Cooling System: Integrated motor cooling system (blower fan), extends shredder’s continuous run time by 2.0 times and up.

Now you know the guidelines to refer in identifying the right shredder for your needs. Be sure to take all your needs into consideration. If you would like additional information, please contact us and our expert staffs will be happy to assist you!