Pens run out of ink, and pencil tips get dull. What’s a hard worker to do if it happens at crunch time? If you have an electric sharpener at hand, problem solved. The days when you had to rotate a handle for an interminable time to get your pencil sharp again are long gone. These days, the best sharpeners are electric and most are tidy enough that you can keep one unobtrusively nearby. You won’t even have to leave your desk to use it. Take a look below to find the best electric pencil sharpeners to purchase now.
Best Overall: BOOCOSA Pencil Sharpener
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The BOOCOSA sharpener features a heavy-duty steel blade that will make the tip as pointy as a tack. This sharpener has you covered if you’re one of those who always wonders, “Is it done yet?” When you insert your pencil, the BOOCOSA sharpener will automatically turn on, and it will automatically turn itself off, too, when the job is complete.
Not only will the lead emerge sharp, but the mechanism is designed to achieve even trimming, so the point will still be perfectly round. The BOOCOSA is small enough to fit neatly on your desk, but the bin can hold up to 100 pencil shavings and it’s durable, too, just like the blade.
Best for Workplaces: OfficeGoods Electric Pencil Sharpener
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The OfficeGoods pencil sharpener is a good fit for classrooms or workplaces where a lot of people are going to be using it. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to pencils, and this electric sharpener can pretty much accommodate anyone. It comes with three settings: sharp, medium or blunt. It also has three options for power supply: a USB adapter, an AC adapter or you can use four AA batteries. It will fully sharpen a brand new pencil in about 15 seconds.
The safety feature is pretty nice, too, if little fingers will be using it in a classroom. When the shavings cover is removed to expose the blade, the sharpener automatically stops, preventing injuries and other mishaps. It’s small enough that kids can pass it around for use when it’s on battery power, or you can tuck it neatly away, pretty much out of sight, on your desk. OfficeGoods is reported to have great customer service, too.
Best for Students: School Smart Vertical Pencil Sharpener
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The School Smart Vertical sharpener is a good choice if you’re buying specifically for the classroom. Not only is it of heavy-duty construction, but it also works well with colored pencils, and it comes with its own pencils — 12 of them.
It also has an auto-stop feature — it will turn itself off when the pencil is sharp — and it’s easier for younger kids to use because the pencil is inserted at the top. The hole isn’t as difficult to spot or manage as those that are tucked on the side of a device. And the bottom is rubberized, so the Smart School Vertical will stay where you put it, even under heavy use. Users have mentioned that this sharpener is a little on the noisy side, but kids shouldn’t mind that.
Best for Teachers: X-Acto School Pro Pencil Sharpener
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Not all teachers want their students waiting to sharpen their own pencils, forming a line long enough to snake around the room. If you’d rather just take care of this job yourself — or if you otherwise use a lot of pencils in your work and want to bring a bunch of them to a point all at once — try X-Acto’s School Pro Classroom electric sharpener. It’s designed specifically for the classroom, but no one says you have to have a room full of students to appreciate the six pencil holes, all different sizes.
Small, suctioned feet keep the X-Acto School Pro Classroom upright and in place while it works away, and the auto-reset feature prevents it from overheating under heavy use. The blade is said to last 33 times longer than those in other sharpeners, and the electric motor is even reasonably quiet. If you use the X-Acto in the office, you won’t have your co-workers rolling their eyes wishing you’d get done with it already.
Best Shaving Reservoir: LINKYO Electric Pencil Sharpener
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LINKYO makes an electric sharpener with a large, transparent reservoir so you’ll know when it’s near to full and can empty it before you get started. But that won’t happen for a while because this is another one that can hold shavings from up to 100 pencils. And LINKYO’s Smart Sensor sharpener offers an auto-jam feature, too. Your pencil won’t be stuck in there until you find time to wrestle it out if something goes wrong. It features a smart shutoff, so it stops when your pencil is sharp enough. Just give the pencil a little push and it will pop right out.
The LINKYO sharpener is particularly speedy, too, sharpening a used pencil nicely in about three seconds and a new one in about seven seconds. It should sharpen about 3,000 pencils before you have to think about replacing it, but the price is comfortable so that shouldn’t be a problem.
Best Design: Bostitch Quiet Sharp 6 Electric Pencil Sharpener
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Maybe your desk is in the reception area or you otherwise have a lot of visitors to your workspace. You don’t want a big, ugly, hulking dragon of a pencil sharpener squatting on your desk. Bostitch’s Quiet Sharp 6 is attractive as far as pencil sharpeners go, even though it’s heavy duty and weighs about four pounds.
It stops automatically when the shavings bin is removed to cut down on the possibility of unsightly, aggravating spills across your desktop. The Quiet Sharp 6 comes with a suction base to keep it from tipping over, even if you accidentally knock it. It also accommodates six different pencil sizes and it stops automatically to prevent over-sharpening. It’s a little on the expensive side, but it comes with a lifetime warranty and Bostitch says the Quiet Sharp 6 will last 10 times longer than other sharpeners, thanks to its tip-saver technology.
1. Why invest in an electric pencil sharpener
Today’s market offers a bountiful range of pencil sharpeners, from the basic handheld models we’re all familiar with to the electric pencil sharpeners praised by school teachers and office clerks. But with many artists and architects standing for the manual models, why should you invest in an electric one?
Electric pencil sharpeners come in handy on many occasions. You can use one for a quick honing of your pencil’s tip if you’re in a hurry. It is also easier to use an electric pencil sharpener to get different points of the lead, and on some models, the motor even stops when the tip is sharp, to minimize waste.
So, why do people still use the manual models?
2. Manual vs. electric pencil sharpeners
The differences between a manual and an electric pencil sharpener are more subtle than the evident difference in design. Both stationery accessories serve the same purpose but they each come with pros and cons.
Manual pencil sharpeners: Come with two major benefits – convenience and sharpening control. They are compact, ultra-lightweight, easy to use, and give you full control on how to sharpen your pencil. They come in a wide range of styles and sizes, including the convenient rotary sharpeners found in offices and schools. You’ll also be able to choose from a wide range of sizes to fit all types of pencils. However, the size is usually not adjustable and you will also have to twist the pencil by yourself.
Electric pencil sharpeners: Bring the benefit of a faster sharpening. You won’t have to turn the pencil, just press its tip in the sharpener and let the tool do everything for you. That’s convenient when you’re in a hurry, but the feature also comes in handy if you’re a professional. Teachers, carpenters, and drawers can benefit from using such a tool. Yet, an electric sharpener comes with the risk of over-sharpening.
3. The Best Electric Pencil Sharpeners in 2019 & 2020
VS.BEST VALUE Amaze Tech 001Blade type: Helical Power source: AC/USB/BatteryAmaze Tech 001Check priceBEST-IN-CLASS X-ACTO Model 41Blade type: Dual helical Power source: ACX-ACTO Model 41Check price
4. Types of electric pencil sharpeners
Electric pencil sharpeners can be classified into vertical feed and horizontal feed sharpeners.
Vertical feed: Are typically compact and lightweight. Most models have a round design which fits into tiny spaces and is ideal for those who don’t have a lot of space on their bench or desk. Sharpening the pencil is usually easy, and you’ll only have to press the pencil to hone it up.
Horizontal feed: Are much more popular than the vertical feed, although they are usually bulkier. You won’t need free space above the tool and some models can even hold the pencil by themselves during operation. The models are above all popular in schools.
Besides the type of feed, pencil sharpeners can be further categorized into blade and helical sharpeners.
Blade sharpeners: Include a wide range of products we’re all familiar with. They use a conical chamber that incorporates a blade. Electric blade sharpeners have a rotary element that twists the blade rather than the pencil, but sharpening happens in a way similar to the handheld models.
Helical sharpeners: Have a peculiar cutting element consisting of a cylinder with helix ridges designed to grind the wood and sharpen the lead up to a fine point. These sharpeners produce better results and also come with the advantage of expelling broken leads easily.
5. Power source
An important thing to consider before buying an electric pencil sharpener is the power source.
There are three possible options:
Battery powered
USB powered
Corded
All these options come with advantages and flaws, and you’ll have to consider the sharpener’s use before deciding upon a model.
The battery-powered models are the most versatile. They are usually compact enough to fit into a bag, and you can take the tool with you anywhere. Most battery-powered sharpeners require traditional AA batteries which are inexpensive and easy to source, although you will still have to change them regularly.
At the opposite end, there are the corded electric pencil sharpeners that plug into a wall socket and work like any other corded device. Their benefit is endless power unless there is an outage. However, you won’t be able to use these outdoors, for example. The corded sharpeners are great for offices and schools.
The USB-powered sharpeners draw power from your PC and can be used anywhere as long as your laptop is around, combining the best of both worlds.
Some sharpeners come with multiple power modes that give you the possibility to switch from one to another depending on circumstances.
6. Safety features
Electric pencil sharpeners do an excellent job in honing up pencils, but they can also sharpen tiny fingers. Investing in an electric sharpener with safety features is essential especially if the tool is going to be used in a school or by a kid.
The most common safety feature is a blocking mechanism that stops the cutting element if the shavings tray is removed, preventing accidental injury.
Another feature present in some model is an auto-reset feature that stops the engine if it overheats. Anti-skid feet are another nice thing to have on your sharpener, making it more stable on workbenches and desks.
7. Other things to consider before buying
Besides all the above, there are a few other things to consider before buying an electric pencil sharpener.
The size of the pencils you want to hone is probably the most important thing to consider. Some sharpeners fit only one specific size. Others are made for pencils from 6 to 8mm in diameter, which is the standard. But some specialty pencils could be thinner or thicker than this. Check the sharpener’s specifications and make sure it can handle the type of pencils you use.
Another thing to consider is the shape of the pencil. Most electric sharpeners can handle round and hexagonal pencils but only a few models can deal with the triangular and square shapes.
Regardless of the model you like, the sharpener must be very easy to use. If it takes more than just pressing a button or the tip of the pencil in the chamber to activate the tool, change model.
Not all pencils require the same sharpening angle. Some of them need a larger angle that shows more lead, others need a small angle that prevents lead breakage. The best electric pencil sharpeners usually have an adjustable sharpening angle.
The point of lead the sharpener is capable of producing also matters. Artists and drawers may require a pointed lead whereas students and clerks may require a blunt or rounded lead. If you have a preference or specific requirements, check before buying.
Last but not least, you should also check the shavings reservoir. A good one must be big enough to hold lots of shavings, easy to clean, and hard to remove while the sharpener is running.