Is your school paper cutter in need of an upgrade? Ready to get a personal paper cutter for your classroom? Either way, we’ve got you covered with the best paper cutters for teachers, in every style.
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1. Best Paper Cutter for Teachers Overall: Swingline ClassicCut Lite
This model is the best overall. It is the classic guillotine-style, easy to use, and requires very little maintenance. It cuts paper up to 15 inches long, as many as 10 sheets at a time. The safety guard protects your fingers, and a guard locks the handle in place when not in use. (It’s still best to keep this locked up and away from little fingers.) The price is is perfect for a personal purchase, but don’t be surprised if other teachers want to steal it from time to time.
Buy It: Swingline ClassicCut Lite
2. Best Overall—Runner-Up: Fiskars Recycled Bypass Trimmer
Even in second place, this guillotine-style cutter is one of the best paper cutters we reviewed. It’s a little smaller than the Swingline ClassicCut at just 12 inches long (although it costs about the same price). We like the clear plastic guard that allows you to hold papers precisely in place while protecting your fingers. It also boasts a self-sharpening blade.
Buy It: Fiskars Recycled Bypass Trimmer
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3. Best Paper Cutter For the Staff Room: X-ACTO 24×24 Commercial Grade Square Guillotine Trimmer
This model is the most expensive on our list, but it is definitely built to last. This paper cutter is best for teacher staff rooms since the self-sharpening blade and solid wood base will hold up to years of use. We also love the generous 24×24 inch size and that it can cut up to 20 sheets of paper at a time.
Buy It: X-ACTO 24X24 Commercial Grade Square Guillotine Trimmer
4. Best Stack Cutter: HFS (R) Heavy Duty Guillotine Paper Cutter
Stack cutters are the best paper cutters for trimming hundreds of pages at a time. They can even cut whole books! This model packs some serious power, so we appreciate the built-in safety features. Still, keep this one far away from kids’ curious fingers.
Buy It: HFS (R) Heavy Duty Guillotine Paper Cutter
5. Best Multi-Tasker: MARIGOLD Paper Cutter Corner Puncher
This personal guillotine-style cutter has an extra feature: a corner punch to round corners. You may or may not find this feature useful, but the low price makes this a great option for personal use. The blade is 12 inches long, with all the standard safety features.
Buy It: MARIGOLD Paper Cutter Corner Puncher
6. Best Rotary Paper Cutter: CARL Heavy Duty Rotary Paper Trimmer
If guillotine-style cutters make you nervous, you may want to check out rotary cutters. The swinging blade is replaced by a rolling disk you slide back and forth. This CARL model is one of the best paper cutters in this category. It cuts papers up to 12 inches, with a lot of built-in measurements marked on the cutting board. Our favorite feature? You can get a replacement perforating blade! This allows you to make pages that tear apart easily, which opens up all kinds of possibilities for classroom activities.
Buy It: CARL Heavy Duty Rotary Paper Trimmer
7. Best Rotary Cutter—Runner Up: Fiskars ProCision Rotary Bypass Trimmer
The ProCision has a wide base that folds when not in use. The rotary blade slides smoothly along the rails, and the see-through plastic guide lets you hold pages in place while keeping your fingers clear. The markings on this model allow you to turn it either direction, so lefties can easily use it too.
Buy It: Fiskars ProCision Rotary Bypass Trimmer
8. Best Bargain Rotary Cutter: CARL 12 inch Professional Rotary Paper Trimmer
Most rotary cutters are in the mid-price range, but this little one is more affordable. It’s still a quality cutter, with a no-touch rotary wheel that makes it extremely safe to use. Like all rotary cutters, it’s a good option for left-handed teachers, since it works the same in any direction.
Buy It: CARL 12 Inch Professional Rotary Paper Trimmer
9. Best Portable Paper Cutter: Fiskars SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer
Proving that the best paper cutters don’t have to cost a fortune, the Fiskars personal trimmer is a nice option to tuck in your desk drawer and pull out when you only need to cut a few sheets at a time. The cutting blade is hidden away in the little slider, making this another very safe option. The wide base and easy-to-see markings are perfect for precision cuts.
Buy It: Fiskars SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer
10. Best Paper Cutter for Angles: Jielisi 12 Inch Paper Cutter
If you like to get creative with your cuts, this little paper trimmer is the only one with built-in markings for cutting paper at an angle. Otherwise, it’s similar to the Fiskars SureCut, just a little smaller. The cutter works in either direction, so it’s another nice choice for lefties.
Buy It: Jielisi 12 Inch Paper Cutter
Once you have your own paper cutter, you’ll need a laminator too! Check out this Quick Guide to the Best Laminators for Teachers.
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