Staples Mailmate M3 12-Sheet Shredder

The past year has seen an onslaught of negative reviews for the Staples Mailmate M3 12-Sheet Shredder, primarily due to complaints of units that stop working after a few weeks or months. The Staples Mailmate is basically a single-purpose shredder. Its feed slot is only six inches wide, so it's built for envelopes, not copy paper or bank statements. It's unique in that respect: We couldn't find any other shredder specifically designed for junk mail. Reviewers like that this unit is small enough to fit on a desktop. This machine is also built to handle credit cards, CDs and DVDs, although -- like other moderately priced shredders -- it isn't powerful enough to consume a steady digital diet. The Mailmate is a crosscut shredder that comes with a 1.8-gallon basket and nonskid rubber feet.

Laura Moser at Slate.com reviews the Staples Mailmate M3 in a comparison test of six home-use paper shredders. We also found reviews of a smaller model on Amazon.com.