Supplies & equipment
In short
Best overall: Fellowes LX Series Powershred LX45 paper shredder Cross shredding 70 dB Black, £74.99 at Back to the Office. Best value: Fellowes Powershred P-25S Strip-Cut Shredder paper shredder Strip shredding 22 cm Black, Grey, £30.99. Premium pick: Rexel ProMax QS RES1123 paper shredder Strip shredding 60 dB 22 cm Black, £152.99.
Across the 188 matching listings we screened from 4 UK suppliers, most cost £64–£127 and the middle price is £90. Prices checked 27 October 2026.
Home shredder guides are written for household post. If you work from home and handle client files, payslips or HR papers, you are still processing your employer's or your own business's data, and the shredder is part of how you keep it safe.
This shortlist covers compact machines from UK trade catalogues. The notes below explain which security level to choose and how to fit a shredder into a small room.
| # | Product | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best overall Fellowes LX Series Powershred LX45 paper shredder Cross shredding 70… | £74.99 | Details |
| 2 | Rexel Secure X6 paper shredder Cross shredding 70 dB Black | £83.99 | Details |
| 3 | Q-Connect Q8MICRO Micro-Cut Shredder Ref KF15548 | £81.48 | Details |
| 4 | Best value Fellowes Powershred P-25S Strip-Cut Shredder paper shredder Strip… | £30.99 | Details |
| 5 | Fellowes Powershred M-7Cm paper shredder Cross shredding 23 cm Black | £68.59 | Details |
| 6 | Fellowes Powershred 12C Cross-Cut Shredder paper shredder Cross… | £145.99 | Details |
| 7 | Premium pick Rexel ProMax QS RES1123 paper shredder Strip shredding 60 dB 22 cm… | £152.99 | Details |
| 8 | Rexel X410-SL paper shredder Cross shredding 22 cm Black, Silver | £150.99 | Details |
1 · Best overall
Fellowes · Sold by Back to the Office
HIGH SECURITY SHREDDING - The Fellowes LX45 cross-cut paper shredder can shred 8 sheets at once per pass into tiny 4 x 37 mm cross-cut particles (High security DIN P-4), so you can be sure that your confidential documents have been shredded securely.
2
Rexel · Sold by Back to the Office
Shreds up to 6x A4 sheets (80 gsm) at once. Cross cut (P-4 DIN security level). 10L (100 A4 sheets) bin capacity with a lift off shredder head. Transparent bin window to see when full. Quiet shredding <70 dBA. Shreds staples and paper clips.
3
Q-Connect · Sold by UK Office Direct Limited
Shreds up to 8 sheets of 75gsm paper into 3.3 x 9mm cross cut particles. Security level: P-5. Pull out 15 litre waste bin. Also shreds staples, paperclips and credit cards. Reverse function. Safety cut out when bin is accessed.
4 · Best value
Fellowes · Sold by Back to the Office
MEDIUM SECURITY SHREDDING - The Fellowes P-25S strip-cut paper shredder can shred 5 sheets at once per pass into 7mm strip-cut pieces (Medium security DIN P-1).
5
Fellowes · Sold by UK Office Direct Limited
Security Level P-4. 13 Litre mesh bin with lift-off head. Continuous 5 minute shred with 30 minute cool down. Shreds staples and credit cards. 1 year machine warranty and 3 year cutter warranty.
6
Fellowes · Sold by Back to the Office
Shreds 12 sheets per pass (70gsm) into 4x40mm cross-cut particles (Security Level P-4). Extended run time of 10-minutes followed by a 30-minute cool down period. 19 litre pull-out bin – approximately 250 sheets of shredded paper.
7 · Premium pick
Rexel · Sold by Back to the Office
Shreds up to 12x A4 sheets (80gsm) at once. P-2 DIN security level (6mm), 1 x A4 sheet into 40 strip cut pieces. 23L bin capacity (192x A4 sheets) with a lift off shredder head. Transparent bin window to see when full.
8
Rexel · Sold by Back to the Office
Shreds up to 10 sheets in one pass (80gsm). P-4 (4x28mm), 1 x A4 sheet into 400 cross cut pieces. 23L bin capacity, 225 A4 sheets. Anti jam technology, shredder automatically stops and reverses when too much paper is inserted.
Shredders are rated from P-1 to P-7 under DIN 66399. Which? notes that home machines rarely go higher than P-4. Fellowes describes P-1 and P-2 strip-cut as suitable only for paper with no personal or company data, and recommends businesses avoid anything below P-4.
So for work papers, look for P-4 (cross-cut) as a minimum, or P-5 (micro-cut) if you handle finance, HR or legal documents.
The ICO says that if staff work from home, the employer needs measures in place so this does not compromise security, and that physical security should cover how paper waste is disposed of. If your employer has a confidential waste policy, it applies at your kitchen table too.
If you are an employee, ask whether your employer will supply or reimburse a shredder of the right level. If you run your own business, a shredder bought for work use is a business expense.
Run time matters more than sheet count at home. Small machines often run for a few minutes before a long cool-down, and Which? says cool-down can take from 20 minutes up to an hour. Shred little and often rather than saving a year of papers for one afternoon.
Check the noise rating if you take calls in the same room, and the footprint if it will sit under a desk. A lid lock or safety switch is worth having if children or pets share the space.
On our shortlist, the Fellowes LX Series Powershred LX45 paper shredder Cross shredding 70 dB Black is the best overall pick at £74.99 from Back to the Office. For a tighter budget, the Fellowes Powershred P-25S Strip-Cut Shredder paper shredder Strip shredding 22 cm Black, Grey (£30.99) is our best-value choice.
Most of the 188 UK listings we screened sit between £64 and £127, with a middle price of £90. Trade suppliers often show prices before VAT, so add 20% if you can't reclaim it.
A VAT-registered business can usually reclaim the VAT on equipment bought for business use, as long as it holds a valid VAT invoice from the supplier. Ask the seller for one at checkout.
The picks here come from Back to the Office, UK Office Direct Limited. Most UK trade suppliers offer next-day delivery and VAT invoices; some offer credit accounts for regular orders.
For most client and employer papers, yes. P-4 is the minimum Fellowes recommends for business use. Choose P-5 if you regularly handle bank, payroll or health information.
Many models take cards and staples, but not all. Check the product specification before feeding them in, as it can blunt or jam the blades.
If you handle work papers at home, it is reasonable to ask. Employers remain responsible for the security of personal data their staff process at home.