Amazon Basics 6-Sheet Micro-Cut Review

The Amazon 6-Sheet is an inexpensive micro-cut option. It doesn't have the power for large shredding jobs or for shredding CDs, but if you're shredding jobs are occasional 10-page documents and a credit card here and there, it provides good security at a great price. Mostly due to its low capacity and somewhat shrill noise, this shredder is one of the lower overall scorers in our testing. However, we still think it's a great choice for more casual use. In the sections below, we detail how it performed in all of our individual tests.

Performance Comparison

Shredding Quality

The Amazon 6-Sheet ended up with an average score in this metric but overall, we enjoyed using it. It provides the heightened security of micro-cut but is somewhat held back by its low capacity. It was capable of handling stacks as large as its claimed six sheets with relative ease. We even put an eight-sheet stack through with no jamming. However, it did struggle with thicker items like junk mail envelopes. You'd be better off opening up those envelopes and unfolding the paper inside before you shred them. It does have enough power to cut through a credit card, which is one shredding item that really benefits from the additional security of micro-cut. However, it cannot shred CDs, something its main competitors can do. If you don't tend to shred CDs, this obviously isn't a big deal, but it can be nice to have the option.

Overall, the Amazon 6-Sheet has high security for small shredding jobs with its micro-cut pattern. However, if you tend to shred more than 10 pages multiple times a week, you'll likely enjoy the speed benefits of a more expensive, larger model.

Speed

As we mentioned above, this is a fairly low-capacity shredder. Because of this, it was also one of the slower models, working through just 42 sheets per minute in our testing. We certainly wouldn't want to shred any very long documents with this shredder, but it's plenty fast enough for a few pages here and there.

Ease of use

Just like many of the other metrics, the 6-Sheet Micro-Cut score smack-dab in the middle, earning an average score in ease of use. Day-to-day use is quite simple. It has just one button that flips between auto (on), off, and reverse. There is also a warning light to indicate if the shredding unit is overheating. A small plastic guard prevents fingers from getting in touch with the blade, and a small slot allows you to insert credit cards. It also has a small handle, making it easy to remove the shredding unit with a single hand. The only reason it didn't earn top marks was its bin.

At 4.1 gallons, it is a decent size for a small capacity shredder, but it only has a tiny viewing window in the front to give you an idea of how full it is. For a small shredder like this that will likely hide away under a desk, we would have preferred a digital full indicator on the top of the shredding unit.

Noise

This shredder was one of the worst performers in our noise testing, scoring well below average. It is not particularly loud, but it does produce a high-pitched whine that can become grating pretty quickly. We definitely wouldn't want to have to listen to this shredder for more than a couple of minutes, but it is bearable for the odd 10-page document.

Should You Buy the Amazon Basics 6-Sheet Micro-Cut?

If your budget is low but your security demands are high, this is the model for you. The Amazon Basics 6-Sheet Micro-Cut is a great choice if you want high security, but don't shred very often and don't need to shred CDs.

What Other Paper Shredder Should You Consider?