Best Paper Shredder for Working From Home
Choosing a paper shredder for a ‘working from home office’?
COVID-19 has really influenced the way many businesses operate day to day. Working from home is becoming more common as it greatly reduces the risk of transmission, thanks to its social distancing aspect.
As we work from home more often, the more documents/paperwork can pile up. In many industries, this paperwork contains sensitive information regarding the employer’s business information, personal information about clients and employees. So the need to handle this information security is still the same as it would be in your normal workplace.
Your workplace may use a secure bin service or may have large paper shredders which makes handling this information easy. But now you are working from home, having a secure bin at your home office is not appealing to your decor or even practical because of the high costs involved. So your best solution is likely a well suited paper shredder.
But how do we know which one to buy? Here are some key factors to consider when choosing the right machine.
Is there a specific security requirement for organisation?
The most common shred type for the majority of industries is “Cross-Cut”. This cuts the paper into the small rectangles that you most likely have seen at one point or another. This is common in any industry which handles business related and personal information generated by HR, Executive and Finance departments to mention a couple. Some examples of users are schools, law, accounting and consultancy firms, government departments and health care etc.
There may be instances where a higher security level is required. This level may be ‘P-5’ or maybe even require a ‘Class B’ or ‘Class A’ P-6 or P-7 certification. You may work for an area of Government or in the technology sector that requires a minimum of these security levels. For this reason, it is always important to check if there is a minimum security level for your organisation.
What will be shredded?
It sounds like it would obviously be paper, but this is still something that you need to ask yourself. Paper is the likely response to this question, but do you also shred CD’s or plastic cards (eg. credit cards)?
Many paper shredders on the market will accept CDs or credit cards. But in fact, not all shredders that accept CDs are designed to handle volumes of them. Manufacturers say they are suitable for the “occasional” CD. But if you are looking for a shredder that can shred multiple in a day, then these machines may not be suitable and can prematurely fail. However, there are shredders available that can easily shred higher volumes of CDs.
How much shredding do you do?
For most working from home offices, a small-office machine will suffice. However, if you feel that you may need to shred more regularly, then you may have to start looking at the larger end of the small-office range or even a medium-office sized machine.
This is not only because the medium office machines are built to handle the higher amounts but they also allow you to get through these higher volumes in a shorter time frame thanks to faster shred speeds and higher sheet capacity.
Auto-feed or Manual-feed?
If you are someone that shreds paper as you go, then manual-feed will be a great choice. This is because if you walk up to a shredder with just one or two documents you can shred this in seconds.
Alternatively, if you are someone that likes to stockpile your shredding, then auto-feed would be a great choice. This is because you can load your whole pile into the shredder and then get on with other tasks.
Space/Placement
If there is a particular place in your home office that you would like to keep your shredder, then it is important that you measure the intended space. There are many great shredders on the market but there may only be a few of a suitable size to fit your desired space.
Noise
Another important factor to be considered is noise. Home offices tend to be a small environment, so having a loud machine operating right next to you, is not a desirable feature, especially when you receive a phone call. Fortunately brands like INFOSTOP, Fellowes and Rexel etc. make shredders which are very quiet. This is particularly important if you are wanting to purchase an auto-feed machine as they will need to run longer than a manual-feed shredder would.
Call For Help Buying a Shredder
Choosing a shredder that you will be happy with does not have to be a difficult decision. Feel free to reach out by phone or emailing the ShredderSales team. Our Product Specialists will be more than happy to promptly answer any questions you have and help guide you into the right machine for your needs.
Phone: 1800 808 880
Email: info@shreddersales.com.au
