Aurora AU660S 6-Sheet Strip Cut Paper Shredder Review

Quick Verdict

The Aurora AU660S shredder is a strip cut paper shredder that deliberately skips the wastebasket, instead relying on an arm that stretches over whatever bin you already have. For occasional home use — a couple of bank statements, a handful of credit card offers — it does the job cleanly. The 2-minute run limit and the wobble on that extendable arm are real frustrations if you need to process more than a few sheets at a time. Score: 3.8/5.

What Is the Aurora AU660S?

The AU660S is a 6-sheet personal shredder from Aurora built around one core idea: you shouldn't have to buy and empty a dedicated bin just to destroy paper. The unit measures roughly 13 by 5 by 2.8 inches — compact enough to slide beside a monitor or tuck under a shelf when it's not in use. The body is matte black plastic with a simple three-mode toggle on the front and a small LED cluster for power and overheat status.

It accepts standard copy paper, credit cards, and staples. The cutting mechanism produces quarter-inch strips, which is fine for general documents but less ideal for anything you'd consider sensitive. Aurora ships it without a wastebasket, which is the defining trade-off of this product: you're buying countertop space back, but you're trusting your existing bin to stay stable while the shredder runs.

Key Features

• Shreds up to 6 sheets per pass, plus credit cards and staples
• ¼-inch strip cut size — standard security for non-sensitive paperwork
• Extendable arm reaches wastebaskets up to 15 inches tall
• 2-minute maximum continuous run time before thermal cutout
• 3-mode power switch: Off / Auto / Manual (reverse)
• Power and Overheat LED indicators on the front panel
• Weighs approximately 2.7 lbs for easy repositioning

Hands-On Review

I unboxed the AU660S on a Tuesday morning with a stack of junk mail, three expired credit cards, and the usual crop of bank statements that pile up if you ignore the shred pile for two weeks. Setting it up took about four minutes — extend the arm, lower it over my kitchen bin, plug in, flip the switch to Auto. No instructions needed beyond the diagram on the box.

The first thing I noticed is how little desk space it consumed. Compared to the bulk of most shredders with their 5-gallon bins bolted underneath, this thing sits flat and unobtrusive. I ran six sheets through to test the headline spec. The motor hums with a slightly plasticky undertone — not aggressive, but not whisper-quiet either. The strips fell cleanly into the bin below with no jamming on the first run.

By the fourth batch of the morning I hit the 2-minute ceiling. The Overheat LED came on, the motor cut out, and I had to wait. That was the moment I realised the real constraint of this design: you can't just blaze through a big stack. Each cool-down break adds up. If you're processing a full ream — say, cleaning out a home office filing cabinet — you're looking at 20-minute total time with cooling intervals factored in.

What surprised me was the arm. On shorter bins (my office wastebasket is about 12 inches tall) it sat solid. On the taller kitchen bin it wobbled noticeably, and on one occasion the whole unit shifted sideways mid-shred, scattering strips onto the floor. Not a dealbreaker, but something to be aware of if your bin is on the high side.

The reverse mode cleared a minor jam on my second credit card within two seconds. That was a relief — I've had shredders that made me fish out mangled plastic with tweezers. The AU660S handled that small crisis without complaint.

Who Should Buy It?

The AU660S makes sense for a very specific profile: someone with limited counter space, occasional shredding needs (not more than 10-15 sheets at a time), and an existing wastebasket that isn't absurdly tall. Students, renters, and anyone who moves their shredder between rooms will appreciate the portability. If you deal with sensitive financial documents regularly — tax paperwork, investment statements, anything with a Social Security number — you'll want a cross-cut model with better security.

Skip this if you share a shredder with a home office that sees heavy daily use, or if your workspace only has very tall bins that would make the arm unstable. And if you need to shred more than 20 sheets in a single session, look at models with longer run times and cross-cut heads — the AU660S simply wasn't designed for that workload.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If the 2-minute run limit feels too tight, the Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder offers a larger bin and longer continuous runtime, though it's bulkier and costs a bit more. For those prioritising security over convenience, the Fellowes Powershred 79Ci delivers cross-cut performance and a 6-minute run cycle — a noticeable step up if you handle sensitive paperwork weekly. The Aurora AS610S (same brand, cross-cut variant) is worth a look if you want to stick with Aurora's design language but need a higher security level.

FAQ

Final Verdict

The Aurora AU660S shredder solves a real problem — counter clutter from a permanently-attached bin — and executes that idea reasonably well for light use. The strip cut security and 2-minute run limit are honest trade-offs for the price and form factor, not hidden flaws. Over two weeks of occasional use it never jammed unexpectedly, and the overheat indicator gave clear warning before the motor stressed. If your shredding needs are light and your counter space is tight, this compact performer earns a place on your shortlist.