The Best Classroom Pencil Sharpeners

Looking for a quality pencil sharpener for your classroom or homeschool space? Every classroom–even homeschooling pods–need quality sharpeners. We have what you need teacher friends! This post features reviews and information on the best classroom pencil sharpeners for heavy-duty use. Not only that, but there are also several great bargain sharpeners featured on this list!

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How Do You Know These Are the Best Classroom Pencil Sharpeners?

Since sharing how I manage pencils in my classroom, I’ve received a flood of questions about the best classroom pencil sharpeners.

I’ve researched, interviewed other teachers, and thought back on the electrical and manual pencil sharpeners that work great for heavy-duty use.

For me, these details make a big difference when it comes to good pencil sharpeners:

• Cost
• Ease of Student Use
• The Volume of the Sharpener
• Is it easy to clean?
• How long will it last?

Not only that, but I also had to do lots of digging for great hand-held sharpeners. Since 2020, many students need to keep classroom supplies at their desk.

So, this list also includes great quiet manual sharpeners that don’t make a mess!

Here are the results of my research below.

Xacto Pencil Sharpener: The Best Electrical Pencil Sharpener

First of all, the winner for the best electrical pencil sharpener is the Xacto brand pencil sharpener.

I’ve used this one for many years, plus other teachers commented on how efficient it works for them. Amazon reviews rave about its features, which you can check out here.

Not only that, but the cost is great considering how long it lasts.

I don’t allow students to sharpen pencils while I teach anyway, which I talk about in this post here. So the volume of this pencil sharpener works fine for me.

Basically, this sharpener won across the board of great electrical classroom pencil sharpeners for heavy-duty use.

The Best Store Brand Electrical Pencil Sharpener: Staples Heavy-Duty Sharpener

The second best electrical sharpener on my list comes from Staples.

It was rated as the best commercial electric pencil sharpener so the price was much higher. With a Staples coupon and my teacher discount, I got it for around $60.

If convenience shopping works better for you, this sharpener can also be found here and shipped to your classroom.

But I absolutely love it! I mentioned it in my classroom pencil system post. 

Naturally, because of the cost, I want it to last a long time, so I’m careful about its use. Which is why I don’t allow my students to use it.

If you are shopping for an electrical pencil sharpener that is student-friendly, this may not be your best choice.

But if you have assistants, classroom volunteers, or para-pros that help them. This heavy-duty sharpener will be just fine with your adult helpers!

The Best Pencil Sharpener for Colored Pencils: School Smart Heavy-Duty Pencil Sharpener

I use a TON of colored pencils in my classroom. I bought this mega class set with 240 colored pencils.

As you can see, I definitely NEEDED a good pencil sharpener for all these colored pencils!

My favorite heavy-duty pencil sharpener for colored pencils is this School Smart Brand. This tiny powerhouse works like a charm not only for all brands of pencils but also for colored pencils.

Do not let the size of it fool you! Our school’s art teacher LOVES this pencil sharpener! She often talked about this being the best pencil sharpener for artists. These Amazon reviews for this pencil stated the same thing.

It also comes with 12 FREE pencils, even though they aren’t shown above in the picture.

The thing that makes this sharpener so handy is that it has an auto-stop feature. When a pencil or colored pencil is sharp, the sound of the sharpener changes, letting you know that the pencil is sharp.

The Best Manual Pencil Sharpener for Different Sized Pencils

Among the best manual classroom pencil sharpeners to sharpen a variety of pencils comes from Xacto.

This Xacto Ranger 55 Manual Pencil Sharpener works great for teachers who want a quiet and student-friendly classroom sharpener.

I could not find other colors for this manual pencil sharpener, but in person, the sleek black design looks great! Plus it can be mounted to a wall, desk, or another classroom surface pretty easily.

My favorite thing about this pencil sharpener is that it sharpens 8 different pencil sizes.

Not only that, but it can be sanitized very easily, which is just as important as actually sharpening pencils!

For a Quiet and Portable Manual Sharpener: SharpTank Hand Crank Sharpener

The next sharpener on my list works very well if you want something portable, but also powerful enough for heavy-duty use.

Two of my former middle school teaching friends went on an on about this hand-crank sharpener and how much they love it.

The SharpTank claims these features:

• SUPER QUIET
• Does not over-sharpen pencils
• Great for up to 5000 uses
• Comes in black and reddish-pink
• Can be mounted easily

Both of my teacher friends mentioned how quiet it truly is, so that review is accurate. They also said that this manual pencil sharpener needs to be emptied often because it will jam if the tray stays full.

As you can see, it comes in a variety of colors.

Additionally, the Amazon reviews for it–which you can access here–featured several teacher comments about the importance of teaching your kids how to use it. Apparently, it isn’t your typical manual pencil sharpener.

The Best Long Lasting Manual Pencil Sharpener: Classroom Friendly Brand Sharpener

I still remember the day I was first introduced to the Classroom Friendly Brand manual pencil sharpener. Our school secretary popped into my classroom and blurted out, “You better get one of these because they’re hot!”

LOL…her comment instantly made me curious!

The Classroom Friendly pencil sharpener is a manual sharpener that many teachers feel is the best hand crank classroom pencil sharpener.

The one from my school secretary was very easy to set-up and use. My students did not have a problem using it either.

You will also need to have replacement blades ready because it will need them over time.

The Best Battery Operated Pencil Sharpener: Power-Me Cordless Electric Sharpener–Great for At-Home Learning

Finally, there’s the amazing little PowerMe cordless, battery-operated pencil sharpener.

I have this sharpener at home for my son to use because it is SUPER easy for him to use.

Many teachers I talked with mentioned how easy this sharpener can be cleaned, and that it has an auto-stop feature to prevent over-sharpening.

I especially like this feature myself now that my son is learning from home! I can trust him to sharpen his pencils quickly.

Plus, it doesn’t take up a lot of space. I also love that it’s not too noisy to use at home, which I imagine makes it quiet enough to use in school too.

X-Acto Pencil Sharpener for Crayons

As I reviewed my research on the best pencil sharpeners for 2022, I was thrilled to find this baby! A heavy-duty electrical pencil sharpener for crayons! And it’s by my favorite pencil sharpener brand: X-Acto.

So far, my favorite feature about this sharpener is that it peels back the crayon paper for you as you sharpen. Can we say huge time saver!?

Earlier in the post, I talked about a tragic experience with a student who broke one of my expensive sharpeners because she tried to sharpen her crayon in it. Which is the primary reason why I started my pencil system where students were no longer allowed to use my bigger sharpeners.

Now, I can have a heavy-duty sharpener just for crayons.

Plus, I just like seeing crayons with a fresh sharp point as if it just came out the box.

Are Electric Pencil Sharpeners Better Than Manual?

As you continue to shop for the best classroom pencil sharpeners, you will ask yourself this question more than once.

If you’re stuck on making a decision, consider these facts about sharpeners:

• Electrical pencil sharpeners need a power source. Do you have an outlet conveniently located for sharpening?
  
• Will you sharpen your students pencil for them OR will you teach them to sharpen their own pencils? This answer can definitely influence which type of sharpener you get.
  
• Do you have students with sensory sensitivities? If so, be mindful that electrical sharpeners make way more noise than manual ones.

Asking yourself these questions will help with the buying process.

As far as messiness, both electrical and manual sharpeners can leak pencil shavings at about the same rate.

Hopefully these facts have helped you make your decision.

How Long Do Electrical Pencil Sharpeners Last?

When bargain shopping, I want to know how much use I will get! That determines how much I’m willing to spend.

As stated above, my School Pro XActo heavy-duty sharpener has lasted for YEARS! But, I also mentioned that I don’t allow students to use it. I only use it to sharpen pencils for them–occassionally.

Most heavy-duty electrical sharpeners claim to give you around 3,500 sharpenings.

In my honest opinion, that depends on the brand of the sharpener AND the brand of the pencil.

Ticonderoga pencils seems to sharpen more smoothly and keep your electrical and manual sharpener blades from getting jagged.

So, basically the answer to this question is: it depends. Consider these factors:

• How often will you use the sharpener?
  
• Who will use the sharpener the most?
  
• Will you allow students to sharpen other things like colored pencils in it?

How you plan on using your sharpener will determine how long it lasts.

Should I Just Let Students Use Individual Manual Sharpeners?

Before 2020, we used a “community supplies” system for lots of things.

Students turned in supplies such as paper, pencils, and markers for me to store in one large container that everyone used.

They kept supplies like their notebooks and binders for individual use.

But all teachers needed to pivot and do things differently to keep students physically distanced in the classroom.

Some of my teacher friends want to keep it that way.

For this, I highly recommend Bostitch Twist and Sharp hand-held sharpeners

These little cuties have two different sharpener options: sharp and blunt

They are easy for students of all ages to use and do a good job to help students sharpener their own pencils at their seats.

The only downside is that the side door to empty the sharpener opens a little too easily.

You need to train your kiddos to close that door well so that you don’t end up with pencil shavings everywhere!

Which Pencil Sharpener is the Best?

Now that you’ve had a chance to see all the options, what are your thoughts? If you’re wondering about which sharpener is right for you, that depends on the situation.

Honestly, I adore X-Acto brand sharpeners, but I have the smaller Power Me sharpener at home, and I love it. If you need colored pencils and crayons sharpened a lot, you can’t go wrong with the options listed above for those.

When it comes to choosing the best pencil classroom pencil sharpener, you need to know how often it’s going to be used in your classroom.

Classroom Organization AND Money-Saving Tips

Not only is it important to save money on sharpeners, but we teachers & parents need cost-saving, organization ideas on just about everything right now!

The posts below provide more effective tips on how to save money while getting more organized.

• Effective Ways to Partner with Parents for Smooth Distance Learning
  
• 7 Simple Organizing Hacks for Teachers
  
• Guaranteed Tips for Teacher Hoarders
  
• Practical Ways to Survive Working from Home with Kids
  
• 35 Ways to Make & Save Money as a Teacher
  
  
  
  

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