The Best Staplers for Teachers in 2023

What makes a suitable stapler for teachers? What are the features that you need to look for when you are shopping for one of the staple (no pun intended) office supplies every educator needs? Is it really that hard to find something as simple as a stapler?

You can find a lot of different staplers in any store that sells school and office supplies. However, if you are searching for the best, you need to look a bit deeper. The differences between the functional stapler and a mediocre one are quite obvious, especially once you have tried using them.

This article will be teaching you how to spot a stapler for your money.

Top 8 Stapler for Teachers Reviews

1. Swingline Half Strip Desktop Staplers

If you have used a regular Swingline stapler, then you will be surprised at how small this one is. This stapler is almost half the size of  a heavy-duty stapler for office (the regular Swingline) and can hold half a strip of staplers. This makes this the ideal choice for smaller desks but still has a lot of paper to sort through.

Just like the other staplers that this brand provides, this compact one has a no-jam design. I have been using mine regularly for several months and I have yet to experience a serious stapler jam.

This tool is precisely engineered to always dispense the staples straight. Another reason why this is an incredible option for the best home office stapler is that you do not need to push down hard to make it work.

Do not let its compact design fool you. This little stapler packs a large punch, literally. The trademark technology used by Swingline is also what this compact stapler uses. This enables it to connect up to 40 sheets of paper almost effortlessly.

Odds are you will not be stapling together that many pages. However, you will still be surprised at how smoothly this stapler works.

Now, I know I said that this is a compact Swingline stapler. However, with that said it is still quite bulky, especially when compared to other brands. It is also quite heavy for something that you should be able to use with one hand. Ideally, when you are using this to staple together sheets of paper, I suggest you set it down on top of your desk.

2. Bostitch Office InPower Spring-Powered Staplers

The best thing about the Bostitch premium stapler is how easy it is to use. This stapler has a spring-powered mechanism that allows you to operate it using just one finger. No more slamming your palm on the stapler just to push the stapler through the stack of papers.

Speaking of stapling paper, this stapler can effortlessly staple through 28 sheets of regular bond paper. Pushing the top of the stapler lightly will be more than enough to staple through more than 2 dozen sheets of paper. However, this stapler can also be too strong, more on this later.

If you are looking for the most suitable stapler for bulletin boards, then you will love this stapler. You can open this stapler up so that you can drive staples through the surface of bulletin boards.

Thanks to the spring-loaded mechanism, you no longer need to slam your hand on the stapler just to ensure that your flyers are attached. Just lightly push on the stapler and it would launch the staple with such force that it will effortlessly embed through the wood.

As mentioned earlier, this stapler can be too strong. For instance, if you are just stapling together 2 sheets of paper, you might cause the staple to rip through the sheets. Even if you are careful, because of the hair-trigger of the stapler’s mechanism, the stapler will still slam on the staple at maximum power.

There are even instances when the staple would go out of the stapler so fast that the tines would curl up and rip through the paper again.

3. Eagle Swing-Arm Swivel Staplers

One of the most unique features of this stapler is that its head can rotate 360 degrees. This means you can position the stapler at whatever position you want. Aside from the usual position, you can rotate so the staple would be slanted or perpendicular to the regular position.

If you need to make a lot of pamphlets or booklets but do not want the hassle of going to the printers, you can have the pages stapled together. This staple can rotate so that you can staple your pamphlets yourself

Just turn the head 180 degrees and you can staple the middle of your pamphlets. I usually like to staple booklets around 2 inches from the top and bottom. I usually do not use paper that is larger than the legal size so this fits my needs perfectly.

This stapler can staple together up to 12 pages of regular paper and this is by using regular staple wire. You can use this stapler on even more pages if you use a staple wire that has longer legs. You can essentially double the capacity.

However, because this stapler does not have a spring-loaded mechanism, you will need brute force to make the staple go through all 12 sheets.

The thing that you might not like about this stapler is that it is essentially just a regular stapler but can twist 360 degrees. The mechanism is still that of a traditional stapler, so you will still need to use a bit of force to force the staple through more than three sheets of paper.

4. Amazon Basics Office Staplers

Unlike the other staplers on this list, the AmazonBasics stapler is just as its branding suggests, it is basic. There is nothing fancy about this tool. There are no additional bells and whistles.

One might think that this is a bad thing but the truth is that the basic stapler is a design that works. Many people would rather have something familiar rather than get used to something new.

Even though this is just a basic stapler, it is heavy-duty and quite massive. The additional bulk means you can be rough with it, including hammering a stapler through more than 2 dozen sheets of paper. It will require a bit of force to do so but you can be sure that this will not break apart when you attempt it.

One of the best things about this basic stapler is that it is built to last. You can tell just by holding it that it is a solid office tool. This is the type of stapler that you can be sure will be able to last many years. This might even be the last stapler that you will ever buy in your life.

Now, although I like this stapler, it is nothing different from the old stapler that your parents used. In addition, you will need to slam your hand on the stapler if you want to staple together more than three sheets of paper. If you have arthritis or even carpal tunnel, using this stapler might get quite painful.

5. Business Source Long Reach Staplers

This stapler might look weird but it is quite useful. Unlike other staplers, you can extend the Business Source Long Reach stapler so that you can staple up to a foot from the edge of the paper, like when you are making larger format pamphlets and booklets. This means you are no longer limited to regular-sized sheets of paper.

This stapler is also quite strong. Aside from being adjustable, you can also use this to staple through up to 20 sheets of paper. Although you have to use a bit of force to punch through all that paper, this stapler is sturdy enough that it can handle the stress.

However, there are also limitations to this stapler. You should only use this on regular-thickness paper, nothing heavier than 80 gsm.

6. PraxxisPro Oregon School Staplers

This is the quintessential office stapler. The Oregon stapler is as basic as they come but that does not mean it is not good. On the contrary, the reason why this brand has been around for this long is that its products are made to last.

This is a heavy-duty stapler. Just holding it in your hand, you can tell that it is a solid piece of office hardware. It mostly uses metal material and comes assembled with a high degree of craftsmanship. This allows this stapler to punch through 25 sheets of regular paper. However, you will need to slam your hand quite hard on the stapler to do so.

The small details also add a lot of value to this stapler. For instance, it has a built-in staple remover and an entire carton of staples so you can start working immediately. This might seem simple but not all staplers come with staple wire and have to be bought separately.

You should not expect too much from this stapler as this is as basic as it can get. There is no spring-assisted mechanism and no twisting design. It is just a straightforward stapler. It is also quite bulky and heavy, so using it one-handed will be difficult. Also, just like most traditional staplers, this one occasionally jams up.

7. Mr. Pen Home Schools Staplers

If you do not have the budget for high-end staplers, or just do not have the desire to get them, Mr. Pen staplers has you covered. For almost less than half of the price of one fancy stapler, you will be getting two basic staplers. If you are a teacher and you rarely staple anything more than ten pages, these staplers should be enough for you.

The nice thing about this classroom stapler is that you do not need to figure out anything. Just load the stapler with enough staple wire, close it, and just start punching through the paper.

This is something that you can immediately start using even without reading the instruction manual. If you just want to immediately start stapling sheets of paper together without the need to practice at all, this is the best option for you.

Just like most traditional staplers, this one can also open completely so you can staple things on bulletin boards and wooden walls. You just need to push on the release switch and the stapler will open up. However, take note that you will have to use a bit more force when stapling things onto hard wooden walls or bulletin boards.

Just like with other traditional staplers, the old issues are still present with this brand. For instance, the staples still jam on occasion but not that often. However, according to Mr. Pen, if you use their brand of staple wire, you need not worry about the staples jamming inside your stapler.

8. Plus Paper Clinch Compact Staple Free Staplers

The coolest thing about this stapler is that it does not need a staple wire to connect sheets of paper together. The way this works is that it punches a tab out of the sheets of paper, folds it underneath, and folds it tightly. This is quite a novel idea, and if you think that this would not hold the sheets securely, you are wrong.

Because this stapler, ironically, does not need staples, it is safe for food packaging. For instance, if you need to reseal a bag of chips, just fold over the opening and then staple over a couple of parts.

You do not need to worry about any small metal staplers falling into your food and possibly harming your family.

In addition, when it comes the time you need to shred the paper documents later, you do not have to worry about picking out the staples. Just feed the documents straight into the shredder without worry. Unlike regular staples that could damage the blades of the shredder, the tabs are made from the same paper as the documents.

Although this is a novel stapler, it does have a couple of issues. First, this stapler cannot hold more than 5 sheets of regular paper, even less when using thicker paper stock.

Second, this is far from being the most preferred bulletin board stapler and for use on other flat surfaces as well. You cannot open the stapler and there is nothing that will be holding the paper on the board.

How to Choose Stapler for Teachers

You might think that any stapler will do. However, there are certain things you have to consider to make your experience with the stapler a lot better. In my experience, you should consider the following things when shopping for a new stapler:

Ease of Use

You need to have a stapler that is easy to use, especially if you are collating almost endless piles of documents every day. Ideally, the stapler you choose should not need too much force to punch through layers of paper. Some modern staplers feature spring-loaded mechanisms that you can push down using just one finger.

On the other hand, if you do not like new-fangled staplers, you can use traditional-style staplers. However, you should get the ones that are bigger and heavier, as they are easier to use compared to smaller staplers. This is especially important when you are stapling more than 10 sheets.

Page Capacity

How many sheets of paper do you usually collate? Do you often need to staple more than 10 sheets at a time? 20 sheets? If you often find yourself needing to staple more than a dozen pages of documents, then you need a stapler that can keep up with the demands of your job.

A traditional stapler, although reliable, can only staple no more than 15 sheets of paper. In addition, if you do need to staple that many pages together, you will usually need to slam your hands hard on the stapler to ensure that the staple can punch through all that paper.

On the other hand, there are modern staplers that have assistive spring-powered mechanisms that will slam the staple through the sheets of paper. These are quite powerful and can easily push regular staples through 25 sheets of paper. However, these kinds of staplers are usually too powerful for stapling just two or three pages.

Punching Power

Will you be stapling through other materials other than regular paper? Then you need a stapler that can do the job. As mentioned earlier, some staplers have spring-loaded mechanisms that can force the staple wire through dozens of sheets of paper. These can also easily push staples through thick card stock, and even through wood.

This is important if you are a teacher and you need to staple messages on your classroom bulletin board. A strong stapler can also be used for making different kinds of crafts. For instance, if you like scrapbooking and you can’t seem to glue some materials onto the page, like a coaster, or a thick patch.

Durability

Although staplers are not the most expensive office stationery, you should still get something that you know can last for a long time. When it comes to staplers, you can typically tell which ones are durable by holding them in your hand. The ones that feel solid and heavy are usually from solid steel and not just flimsy sheet metal.

In this regard, old-fashioned staplers have the advantage over most modern stapler designs. The OG staplers had fewer moving parts. They often have a solid build because they are meant for years’ worth of abuse in the typical office environment.

Can Staple onto Flat Surfaces

If you are a teacher, a stapler’s ability to staple on a flat surface, like a bulletin board, is important. The top-notch wall stapler for teachers should open up all the way so that you can hold it flat against a surface and drive a staple through the paper and the board.

With that said, a good teacher stapler for bulletin boards should have more than enough power to drive the staple through hard surfaces like plywood. This makes the spring-assisted staplers ideal for this purpose. These staplers make it seem like you are using a hydraulic staple gun with the amount of power most of them have.

Additional Features

Not all staplers are created the same. Some stapler brands have additional features that make them worthwhile. For instance, if you usually make pamphlets or small booklets for your students, there are several staplers to choose from. For instance, there are staplers where the tops can rotate 360 degrees, so you can staple the spines properly.

On the other hand, if you need to make bigger pamphlets, some staplers can extend. This allows them to reach up to a foot from the edge of the paper. With this kind of stapler, you can make booklets that are the same size as regular comic books.

Cost

How much of a budget do you have for a stapler? The modern staplers with the spring mechanism are a bit on the expensive side. Those kinds of staplers usually cost above $20. These are okay if you have some room in your budget for them.

On the other hand, if you would rather just spend most of your budget on other supplies for your classroom, then just get a simple traditional stapler. These are the ones that can do most of the things that you expect from them and they are also quite cheap. However, you should choose from the heavy-duty ones.

Conclusion

The best stapler for teachers is the one that can fulfill almost all of the tasks that you will need it to do. Consider the average number of sheets that you usually staple together, and if you use a stapler to post on your bulletin board.

You might think that all staplers are the same but you will only realize that you wasted your money when the one you bought did not work the way you thought it would. So, remember the things that you learned from this article when shopping and you will not regret your decision.

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