Welcome to our big hole punch test 2021. Here we present all the hole punches we have tested. We have compiled detailed background information and added a summary of customer reviews on the web.
We would like to make your purchase decision easier and help you find the right hole punch for you.
You will also find answers to frequently asked questions in our guide. If available, we also offer interesting test videos. Furthermore, you will also find some important information on this page that you should be aware of when buying a hole punch.
Contents
- 1 Weekly newsletter with the best personal finance tips
- 2 Summary
- 3 The Best Hole Punch: Our Choices
- 4 Guide: Questions you should ask yourself before buying a hole punch
- 5 Decision: What types of hole punch are there and which one is right for you?
- 6 Buying criteria: Use these factors to compare and evaluate hole punches
- 7 Interesting facts about hole punches
Summary
- The hole punch is an irreplaceable tool when it comes to stapling documents in filing systems such as folders, binders, ring binders or personal organizers. That's why it's hard to imagine everyday life without this little tool for punching holes.
- The price range goes from about 1.50 euros to 150 euros. This wide price range is due to the difference in design, size, material, finish and handling.
- There are three fundamentally different models of hole punch. The registry hole punch for a lot of paper, the office hole punch for a medium amount of paper and the system hole punch for a small amount of paper.
The Best Hole Punch: Our Choices
Guide: Questions you should ask yourself before buying a hole punch
Who is a hole punch suitable for?
That's why it's hard to imagine everyday life without this little tool for punching holes. The different designs of the hole punch and the simple operation make it possible for everyone to use a hole punch.
The hole punch is needed in kindergarten, at school, at university, in the office and at home.
What does a hole punch cost?
| type | price |
|---|---|
| registry hole punch | 25-250€ |
| office hole punch | 5-25€ |
| system hole punch | 1,50-3€ |
As you can see, the range goes from about €1.50 to €290. This large price range is due to the difference in design, size, material, finish and handling and is therefore justified.
What alternatives are there to a hole punch?
Decision: What types of hole punch are there and which one is right for you?
If you want to buy a hole punch, there are several models to choose from:
- Registry hole punch
- Office punch
- System punch
For all three models, there are different versions so that your hole puncher meets the different needs of the end user. In the following section, we would like to make the decision easier for you and give you an overview of the different versions of a hole punch.
What are the features of a filing system hole punch and who needs it?
The register hole punch is characterised by its long lever. The long lever, which is used to punch the paper or document, makes the punching process much easier. With the help of its long lever, a registry hole punch can punch significantly more sheets of paper at once, in contrast to other models of hole punch.
An office hole puncher can punch up to 30 sheets, whereas a high performance hole puncher can punch up to 150 sheets. That is why the registration hole punch is ideal for those who have to punch a lot of paper in one go.
These are, for example, office workers, teachers or students. Its size, which can be up to 50 cm, and its weight, which can be up to 5 kg, are also important factors. The filing hole punch cannot be carried around or transported from A to B. The weight is also important.
Here is a summary of all the advantages and disadvantages of the filing punch:
What distinguishes an office punch and why should every office have one?
The office punch is characterised by its handiness and yet high performance. In the following table we have listed all the advantages and disadvantages of the office punch.
With an average size of 10-15 cm and a weight of 300-500 grams, it is much smaller, lighter and, above all, easier to handle than the filing system hole punch. However, the small version of the hole punch can still punch up to 30 sheets of paper at a time. And that is exactly why it is called the office hole punch. It can easily be stored in the desk drawer without taking up much space on the desk.
The office punch is handy, powerful and practical.
What distinguishes a system punch and what are its advantages and disadvantages?
A system punch is a special punch that you can use directly in your filing system. For example, you can attach it directly to your diary. With this punch, you can punch paper on the go and file documents in your diary without having to carry an office punch or even a filing system punch.
Of course, the personal organizer is only used as an example here. The same principle can be used with the system punch for any other filing system, such as a folder or binder.
The system punch is a good choice not only because of its ability to be stapled directly into the filing system, but also because of its size, weight and price. At a price of an unbeatable €1.50-3, a size of 13cm and a weight of just under 40 grams, it is the cheapest, smallest and lightest hole punch.
The only disadvantage of the small system punch is the punching capacity, which is a maximum of 3 sheets of paper at a time. Below we have summarised the advantages and disadvantages of the system punch in a table:
Buying criteria: Use these factors to compare and evaluate hole punches
In the following, we will show you which aspects you can use to decide between the many possible hole punches. The criteria you can use to compare the hole punches with each other include:
- Weight
- Punching capacity
- Number of punching elements
- Collecting tray
- Stop rail
In the following paragraphs, we will explain what is important in the individual criteria.
Punching capacity
The punching capacity describes how many sheets of paper the respective hole punch can punch at a time. There are three different punch variants with different punching capacities. However, the numbers can also vary somewhat here. In this table, we list the different punching capacities of the 3 common hole punch models.
| Type | Punching capacity |
|---|---|
| Registry hole punch | up to a maximum of 250 sheets of paper |
| Office hole punch | up to a maximum of 50 sheets of paper |
| System hole punch | up to a maximum of 3 sheets of paper |
The registration hole punch has the highest punching capacity for up to 150 sheets of paper and is suitable for those who need to punch a lot of paper at once. The office punch comes in second place with up to 50 sheets of paper and is ideal for offices, students and the home.
Last is the system punch, which is only designed for up to 3 sheets of paper and is designed for the various filing systems so that it can always be carried in it. Like the diary, for example.
Weight
The weight is the second decisive criterion when choosing the most suitable hole punch. If you already have a heavy bag and want to carry very little extra weight, the system hole punch, weighing just 40 grams, is a great fit for you. The office hole punch is a little heavier at 300-500 grams, but is still easy to carry.
If you want to punch more than 3 sheets, this is the best choice. The heaviest is the registry hole punch. With a weight of up to 5 kilograms, it is not so easy to transport from A to B. For this reason, the registry hole punch is only suitable as a stand-alone hole punch that always stays in one place, for example on a table in a teacher's office or in a company.
Size
There are many differences in the size of the three different types of hole punch. In the table below we have listed all types with their respective sizes.
| Type | size |
|---|---|
| Registry punch | up to 60cm high |
| Office punch | maximum 25cm high |
| System punch | 1cm high |
The system hole punch is therefore not only the lightest, but also the smallest of all hole punches. An office hole punch has an average size of 30 cm and is therefore ideal for storing in a drawer or handbag. The last variant, the registry hole punch, is the largest hole punch. However, there are big differences in this version.
Number of punching elements
The number of punching elements is crucial for choosing the right hole punch for you.
The number of punching elements indicates how many holes your punch will later punch.
For example, there are hole punches with two punching elements that punch two holes. This punch is ideal for paper that is to be filed in folders. Hole punches with four punching elements punch 4 holes with always the same distance and are great for important documents or transparencies.
Collecting tray
The catch tray will not be a decisive criterion when choosing your hole punch, but it is an important one. A collecting tray integrated in or on the hole punch ensures that the punched paper holes from your sheet of paper are collected and do not end up on the floor or on the table.
This only saves you the work of not having to throw away the paper circles immediately. At some point, however, the collection container of your hole punch will be full and will have to be emptied at the latest.
System hole punches never have a catch tray, whereas office and filing hole punches often have one.
Stop rail
Another important criterion for the purchase of your new hole punch is the stop bar. The stop bar helps you to find the centre and thus the correct dimensions of your sheet of paper so that you can later file it neatly and not crookedly in your filing system. If your hole puncher does not have a stop rail, you may punch at an angle and it will look unsightly.
The stop rail is usually available in several versions and is often included with the filing and office hole punch. You can choose whether you are punching A4, A5, A6, Folio or US quart and always find the centre and the right hole. Only the system punch never has a stop rail.
Interesting facts about hole punches
How do I repair my hole punch?
The spring of the hole punch is stuck. It's probably because you tried to punch too many sheets at once and pushed the punch's punching capacity too far. But how do you repair your hole punch now? It's quite simple. Most of the time the spring is just a little bit jammed. You now have the following option to get your hole punch going again.
- Press the lever of your punch again. It will usually loosen again and you can continue punching.
Your hole punch no longer punches or no longer punches correctly? This is because the opening for punching is blocked by paper scraps.
- Try to remove paper scraps from the holes of the punch with a pair of scissors or another pointed object. They may be stuck there and block the punching.
Now your hole punch should be able to do its job again and be ready to punch.
What to do with the paper waste?
Instead of letting the paper scraps go in the paper waste or buying confetti by the bag from the supermarket or internet, you can easily make your own confetti for the next birthday. Use the leftover paper scraps from your hole punch!
Make your own confetti: Here's how!
You need:
- Waste paper, coloured paper, aluminium foil, magazines, newspapers etc.
- Hole punch
- (Leftover) paper scraps from the hole punch
- Scissors
- Felt tip pens
Now you can let your imagination run wild: Let's go. You can now punch out lots of confetti from different types of paper with your hole punch. You can also colour and decorate the leftover paper scraps from the collection container of your hole punch. Have fun with your craft!
Image: 123rf.com / navpil
