I’ve owned a couple of different paper shredders before. One was a flimsy plastic trash-can with a lid type shredder that seemed surprisingly unsafe. The other is a mammoth machine that hasn’t been used in about a year because it’s too large and bulky to keep out, so I have it tucked into a corner where it isn’t really worth the effort to pull out just to shred something. The end result is credit card applications, statements, and other documents that should be being shred to reduce identity theft, are being unsafely torn in half (as if tape didn’t exist) and tossed. I have finally found the solution to my shredder problem.
Introducing the new Black & Decker Studio 6-Sheet Crosscut Paper Shredder. With a slender 4″ wide design, the Black & Decker Studio Shredder is much smaller than other shredders which allows it to fit conveniently (which means I’ll actually use it!) on my desk.
Picture #1 shows the Black & Decker Studio Shredder next to the mammoth machine. As you can clearly see, it’s several inches shorter and thinner than the mammoth machine (which is about the size of a kitchen trash can.)*Note: That is Hobbes walking behind the mammoth machine.*
Picture #2 demonstrates how the Black & Decker Studio Shredder can actually fit on a desk. It’s sitting on the filing cabinet portion of my desk next to the printer. Since it’s so skinny, I was able to slide it between the edge of my desk top drawer thingy and the printer. The shredder comes with a sliding stability foot that you can adjust to keep it secure. It’s just a few inches deeper than the printer here, but is about the same depth as another printer I have.
| Picture #1: Black & Decker Studio Shredder next to mammoth shredder | Picture #2: Desk top friendly Black & Decker Studio Shredder |
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Once I got the shredder squeezed into that narrow space, it was time to test it out. The Studio Shredder can cross cut up to 6 sheets of paper (ex. two of the tri-folded sheets), papers with staples, and credit cards. It does a 1.35″x0.16″ cross cut so you get nice small pieces that will be difficult for sneaky identity thieves to puzzle back together. Here are some before and after shots of an old debit card and a AAA insurance application. As you can tell, the Black & Decker Studio Shredder successfully shredded both.
I really liked that the pull out bin wasn’t too bulky or heavy and was very easy to slide in and out of the shredder. You can kind of see it in Picture #2, but the pull out bin is a gray plastic drawer that you pull from the front of the shredder. One of the cool features I discovered accidentally was that in addition to the automatic start/stop/reverse functions, the shredder won’t start until the pull out bin is all the way pushed in. In addition to being a great safety feature, it also prevents you from accidentally spewing little pieces of shredded paper inside the machine. That stuff is a pain to clean, so I like that it’ll stop me from making a mess.
The Black & Decker Studio Shredder gets a thumbs up from me for being easy to use, for it’s small desktop footprint, it’s effective shredding, and it’s attractiveness. Admit it, you think it looks cool too! Because it’s so much more convenient to use, I know that I’ll be using it to shred all the time. If you don’t have one already, I HIGHLY recommend you get yourself a shredder to help reduce the ways that someone could steal your identity or credit or bank information. The Black & Decker Studio Shredder retails for under $60 and is available in white, black or red in stores or online. You can buy the Black & Decker Studio Shredder online from Amazon for just $57.44.
To learn more about the Black & Decker Studio Shredder visit www.blackanddeckershredders.com.
P.S. You might also see one in our holiday giveaway!
Disclaimer: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a Black & Decker Studio Shredder to use and test for the purpose of writing this review. This did not influence my opinions.
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