Buying a Paper Shredder Singapore: 5 Important Factors to Consider

The importance of maintaining privacy and security cannot be reiterated enough, whether it pertains to your personal privacy or that of your organisation’s. While we mostly think about our online data when we talk about privacy, let’s not forget another source of vital information lying around as well – our paper documents.

We will not cover the best paper shredder in Singapore anymore. In case you missed it, Privacy Ninja already covered the 6 types of document shredder machines in Singapore, so go ahead and read that one if you haven’t yet.

Lest we forget to mention, there are external services for paper shredder in Singapore, too, in case you prefer a more convenient way of getting rid of your documents.

In this article, however, we will cover the basics – 5 factors to consider before you go and make a purchase of your own machine. Apparently, it’s not only about cost and style preference.

1. Understand the Type of Paper Shredder Singapore

How do you want to cut your documents? Believe it or not, answering this question can help you take that first step towards deciding on what paper shredder to buy.

• Do you want one that’s easy to find and have no time to shop for other variants? The strip-cut shredder is the one for you. Pretty much like its name, it cuts paper into long strips. The downside to getting this shredder is that because it cuts paper into long strips, it could be easy to resemble the shreds.
• Do you prefer the type that has a bit more security in it? The micro-cut shredder fits your purpose. It cuts paper into bits and pieces, you will have a hard time recognising which piece belonged to which document. This type of shredder is great for organisations with highly confidential reports and documents.
• The last type of shredder is pretty much similar to the second type but they come with a different name: cross-cut shredder. Documents cut using these are shredded into short, thin strips, making it impossible to glue them back together.

2. Know the Capacity of Your Paper Shredder Singapore

The capacity of the document shredder your purchase is dependent on how and where you use the machine. While any type of paper shredder can be used either at home or in the office, it’s better to get one that can shred more than 5 papers at once if you intend to use it for work.

More advanced models can shred from 20 to 30 papers, perfect if you work in an office and regularly shred large volumes of paper.

Also Read: Shred It Singapore For Commercial Document Destruction

3. Highlight Its Safety Features

Do you intend to set up your paper shredder at home, where kids are likely to touch them? Be sure that you select machines with added safety features (thankfully, most modern machines come with a variety of safety features!).

For instance, some come with a safety lock that prevents unauthorised access, making them inaccessible to kids (and frustrating, too!). One more great safety feature that’s already present in most paper shredders is the safety sensor. It automatically shuts down when it detects a hand near the opening.

4. Consider Its Maintenance

As with any other machine, expect the shredder’s razor-sharp blades to dull over time. Obviously, a shredder can become useless once it can no longer serve its original purpose, so it’s vital that you regularly clean and maintain them. Before purchasing a shredder, consider if it can be maintained with either oil or lubricant.

Also Read: What Is PDPA And What Are The 5 Things You Should Know About

5. Check Its Security Level

Because your purpose for getting a shredder is to keep your confidential files away, you should never forget to check a machine’s security level.

If you inspect a shredder’s specs, you will see its DIN level – the higher the DIN level, the higher its security.

With these 5 factors in mind, all the best in getting that paper shredder!