Buyers' Guide - The Difference Between Strip Cut, Cross Cut & Crypto Cut Shredders

Shredders come in many shapes and sizes, however, most shredders can be categorised into one of 3 shred types:

1) Strip Cut Shredders

2) Cross Cut Shredders

3) Crypto Cut Shredders

1) Strip Cut Shredders

Strip Cut Shredders are often seen as the entry level type of shredder, as their cutting mechanisms are less complex than their cross cut and crypto cut counterparts. However, the fact that Strip Cut Shredders have a relatively simple cutting mechanism also has many benefits, both in price and durability. For home or office users, requiring lower levels of security, Strip Cut Shredders can offer the perfect balance, between a machine which is lower in cost, however, remains capable of defending from possible breaches of confidence, or identity theft.

Whereas Cross Cut and Crypto Cut machines have intersecting blades, the blades of a Strip Cut Shredder rotate in parallel, producing long strips of paper shreddings, as long as the type of paper or media (e.g. CD or DVD) inserted into the shredder. Like Cross Cut and Crypto Cut Shredders, Strip Cut Shredders come in a variety of sizes, for different applications, whether your looking for a small shredding machine for home use, a home office shredder, or a larger departmental shredder.

One further advantage of Strip Cut Shredders, is their larger shredding capacities. Typically, Strip Cut Shredders can shred more paper in one go, than Cross Cut, or Crypto Cut Shredders, due to their relative simplicity.

Finally, the disadvantages of Strip Cut Shredders, are that they cover lower security levels (security levels 1 - 3), which are less secure than Cross Cut or Crypto Cut Shredders. Cross Cut Shredders cut into smaller particles, which also means Strip Cut Shredder bins need to be emptied more often.

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Cross Cut Shredding

Cross Cut Shredders have grown in popularity over recent years and now greatly out-sell Strip Cut Shredders. The primary reason for this is the increase security levels offered, covering the official security levels 3 and 4 (ranked 1, being lowest security, to 6 being highest). The two biggest benefits of Cross Cut Shredders are:

1. Smaller particle size, meaning shreddings are much harder to read, providing additional protection against data theft

2. The waste from Cross Cut Shredders is compacted more tightly, meaning you'll need to empty the bin less often

So, instead of cutting in one direction, as a Strip Cut Shredder would; Cross Cut Shredders, cut the paper or CD, in 2 directions. This also makes the cutting mechanisms more expensive and, more active maintenance is required. Over recent years, many shredder buyers have realised that spending more money at the outset, can prove to be a sensible buying decision. The mechanisms used on many entry level models (sub-£50) are often plastic, whereas manufactures such as Rexel, Fellowes and HSM have improved the quality and durability of more expensive machines, by using solid steel mechanisms, which often come with long manufacturers warranties, of up to 20 years.

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Crypto Cut Shredding

Crypto cut shredders are the highest security shredders available, covering official security levels 5 and 6, for situations where security is of critical importance; for example, government departments. Cryto Cut Shredders have been devised to produce partical sizes so small, that there is an extremely low change of a breach of data security.

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