Side by Side Comparison of: Business Source vs Swingline

Does what I need it to do and is comfortable in the hand.

Sturdy. Doesn't take up much desk space. Perfect.

Works wonderful

This is an interesting version of the common stapler. Low cost. Made well.

This is a fine stapler, especially for the price; however, I hesitate to recommend due to a design quirk. Essentially, the flanges that help keep the stapler upright make it impractical to use as a standard desk stapler. This is useful if you have more pages to staple together. I used to have another stapler that converted from upright to standard desktop better. I did not really notice this prior to purchasing this stapler - but realize now it does make a difference.

Basic stapler, but works great. I didn't need anything complicated for my paperwork filing, and this fit the bill. SO far it's stapled thousands of sheets of paper without any issue.

I never realized how a good stapler performed. I'm so used to the old black models that look like they were made for my grandfather's metal desk. I used to get so frustrated as those models got stuck stapling more than about eight sheets of paper. This unit is a breeze to operate. I've had it for months and haven't even contemplated throwing it through a wall once.I know - it's stupid to get all worked up over a stapler. I just want simple things in my life to work smoothly so that I can focus on the things that are difficult. This stapler helps me do that.

I LOVE THIS STAPLER. I know that staplers shouldn't be thoroughly loved like this one, but I LOVE THIS. I use this daily for big stacks of paper ~25 pages. I've had no problem stapling these pages as I have had in the past. I had a little bit of trouble at first figuring out how to put the staples in it, but once I figured that out, it was easy. It uses regular staples. The one thing that I was a little concerned about is using regular sized staples for the large stacks of paper. It does work, it just might not seem like it holds super well. Although this SEEMS the case, it's actually not. The staples keep the pages together and this stapler is so easy!

The Optima 40 really does staple 40 pieces of paper together. Stapled appearance has a crisp fold, and stapler lever is VERY easily pressed down to operate. It did not come with staples so i used staples out of my regular stapler. Worked great, but went ahead and ordered some Optima staples later. The only potential failure MIGHT be the little flat piece inside the slide that guides and holds the staple is not metal, it's plastic. That and the spring seem a bit flimsy, but time will tell. Everything else about it has the look and feel of quality, and as before, it is a pleasure to use. I'll post later if there is a problem down the road. Nicest stapler i've ever used.

I finally got tired of wrestling with our office stapler and decided to upgrade to this bad boy. With our old stapler you were lucky to get one successful stapling out of 3 or 4 tries. This has ended that frustration. This thing is great for two main reasons. It takes almost no effort to staple something. Slight squeeze, BAM! Staple city. That and the staples are folded FLAT. Every stapler I've used leaves the ends of the staples curled. Not this sucker. So far so good. No misfires, no jams, just smooth ergonomic stapling goodness.

Pretty smooth so far. Stapled 24 sheets, tested 3 times and did not jam. I can't test anything over 25-sheets with the staples I bought because the staples have a stated capacity of 25 sheets. I wish they have a recommended staples for this stapler. I can't give a 5-star unless I tested on 35-40 sheets. I need staples with 40-sheets capacity in order to fully utilize this stapler. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.UPDATE 10/10/2016: This actually works on 47 sheets even with the Optima staples, which claims 25 sheets capacity (Swingline Staples, Optima Premium, 0.25 Inch Leg Length, 210 per Strip, 3,750 Staples per Box (S7035556)). I tested it and it's amazing, zero jam on anything within 47 sheets capacity. Changing this to a 5-star review.

I have this stapler. People in my office who used it love it. It is small and easy to use. The reduced force is a welcome touch. Because of the reduced force mechanism, you'll feel a first click, when you push it. It is just top part of the mechanism closing onto the staple. But your staple isn't pushed through at this point. You need to follow it through until the entire staple closes with a second click, and then you'll get a perfect staple every time.I have a feeling people who get jammed staples is because they didn't staple all the way through, like mentioned above. Another thing is, this stapler uses normal staples. It does NOT use fancy "high capacity" or "heavy duty" staples. I know this little thing can staple 40 sheets (amazing isn't it?). Maybe that throws people off and think it needs the special staples to do the job. No, it doesn't! It uses the regular staples. But Swingline does recommend use their premium staples. I have used both generic staples (though it's still Swingline branded) and premium SF.3 staples and I have no problem with either.

Very sturdy stapler. Have been using it for a few week now and I love it. Feels nice in your hand. Would buy again in a heartbeat!

It staples more paper than usual, not a lot, but enough for a home office.

It seems to hang on every 3rd staple.

Works well.

Takes a couple of days to get used to and wear in a little. Its so nice to be able to set the stapler down and pick it up quickly, it lessons the time on some of my staple jobs.

This is a fine stapler, especially for the price; however, I hesitate to recommend due to a design quirk. Essentially, the flanges that help keep the stapler upright make it impractical to use as a standard desk stapler. This is useful if you have more pages to staple together. I used to have another stapler that converted from upright to standard desktop better. I did not really notice this prior to purchasing this stapler - but realize now it does make a difference.Pros: sturdy, staples well (no stuck staples in first month use), upright design, great priceCons: Not easy to use flat, utilitarian aesthetics

It does go through a lot of paper with little effort. Purchased one for the mail room and then a bunch of people wanted one on their desk.A month ago I would have given it 5 stars. The spring the pushes the staples forward is poorly designed and too weak. On the the first unit I purchased it now doesn't always push them forward. I may not purchase additional units because of this.I use Optima staples and have no jamming problems.

This stapler is great; it fits my hands and is easy to use. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of two minor things: First, I dropped this stapler on the floor (from height of kitchen table onto bamboo flooring) and while it looks fine, now it no longer staples properly (see pic). The action feels too loose on the first part of the stapling, and the staples no longer are pressed tightly, so the pages are no longer firmly attached, but only loosely. This was my fault for dropping the stapler. If I get another one I'll be sure to be more careful knowing that it is not very durable. Secondly, the staples are bent very flatly, and I sometimes worry that the tips of the folded ends might catch on something. I have had staplers where the ends are bent in at a somewhat curved shape, so that you feel only the rounded sides, somewhat like the letter "B", where the pointy ends are folded inward. This is a personal preference and I don't know if the curve limits the max number of pages that might be properly stapled.

Super annoyed it doesn't open up and staple on the wall. I'm a teacher and that's the primary reason I needed a stapler. I'm sure it works fine for stapling stacks of paper, but frustrated I now have to buy an additional stapler.

Great stapler for many pages, but not even room for 1/2 strip of staples in the compact one. I guess that is the trade off for compact.4 Stars because of the lack of capacity and the confusion about the branding on the correct staples (Swingline Optima - original packaging says the staples are for 25 page capacity, but calling the company reveals that the same model number is now for 40 sheet capacity with no change in the actual staples).

I forgot the staples.. don't be like me.. order staples with it..

Replaced a plastic framed stapler. The plastic stapler's parts began to wear out in less than a year. This one is steel framed and all integral parts are steel. Durability and reliability should excel. I'm happy so far, action is easy, easy to load, and holds more staples.

Not in love with this product. The standup feature is great but it doesn't open flat to staple things to a bulletin board!

its a stapler, it seems to work fine

It's ok but I think it jams a little too easily. I like how it takes up less desk space tho.

the only issue is, you have to press hard to get the staple to set. When you use a table top version the reverse force of the table that the stapler is sitting on helps set the staple. In this format you only have your hand strength. I would not recommend it for the elderly or a child or someone with a weak grip.

Works well but isn't as comfortable to usw as others I have. Perhaps it is the sie or shape of my hand but I find it takes more effort to use than others both largeer and smaller.

It staples things as it should for the most part but every so many time you use the unit it gets stuck and you have to dig staples out of it before it works again.

Effective, but too big.In my opinion, they should make it 20% smaller.

This things works okay, but I wouldn't buy it again. You have to put it on a table and push down hard with it, or else it won't fold the staples. If I hold it in my hand and try to staple with it, it won't fold them, and they stick out. So it does work, but you have to use it against a table and not in your hand.

When I staple thru a thicker item, the right side of the staple does not lay flat. It has a tendency to stick out on the back side of the item. Not sure if this is just a flaw with this one stapler that I had purchased.

It works great for going through the number of sheets of paper as described, but fails to curb the ends in the back so you don't stab your finger when handling the pages.

Worked very well until it broke. I am a teacher, and I carried this around on my cart from room to room. It has fallen off the cart a few times, and has now broken into pieces. I'd recommend this for someone who's work space is stationary. I'm now in the market for a more sturdy classroom stapler that can take a bit of punishment without breaking down.

Nice stapler easy to use I like it only thing is when you staple papers it doesn't fold the staple all the to the back side of the paper.

too hard to operate

Clunky and not easy to use if you have small hands.

Not impressed. It jams every few staples.

I don't know if this is exactly the same item as the other stand-ups that look exactly like it. It worked perfectly at my office for almost a month. Then is started jamming a few staples and within a couple hours it no longer works at all.I'm hoping to return it or try one of the other brands.

The staple does not punch tight enough...

I purchased several of these for work and would like to return them. What I liked is that like previous similar ones, they stand up, are easy to grab and leave more desk top space. But these seem to be a bit more cheaply made. You have to squeeze really hard to get even 2 or 3 pages to staple. It seems to catch and you have to press really hard to get it to completely staple. After just two uses my hands are sore! Really???I also purchased this one PaperPro Desktop EcoStapler, Moss, (1710) for a manager who staples large batches at once. He came to tell me it was amazing. Almost as good as the electric we have. If you need a stapler for regular use, why save a few bucks just to have an annoying cheap and hard to use one. Get a quality easy to use one. I don't want to get upset every time I need to staple!

Too small and unstable and is not smooth. I have too push down hard to staple two pages together.

The stapler was compact and seemed to be made out of decent materials, but the staples wouldn't close all the way. They were flat underneath, not curved in like most staplers will make them when you press down, and oftentimes stuck out. We had to return it.

Not a great stapler. Acts like it wants to jam each time, but it hasn't yet.

I would not recommend this product. I purchased it in October of 2016. First of all, it is very small, which is fine if you are looking for a small stapler. I was looking for a standard office size stapler. Since I have only had this stapler for about five months, I am extremely disappointed that the stapler fell apart. The metal pins fell out and the top of the stapler popped off. Needless to say this stapler is now completely unusable. Very frustrating!

It's a very nice "regular" stapler, but I cannot give it a good review at all because of all the false claims made about it. First and foremost, this does not staple 40 sheets. It is a 20 sheets max stapler and you really start to see performance decline rapidly after about 12 sheets. In this regard, it's just like a regular stapler. Second, this is not reduced effort by far. The force needed to staple is less, that's the only claim they live up to, but the time and effort is actually greater. As other reviews point out, this uses a double-tap kind of system--first, you press with reduced effort to punch the paper through with a staple, but then you have to follow up by pressing hard for the second step. If you don't do the second step, the staples on the back of the paper never get pressed flat and stick out, leading to scrapes and injuries. The result is that while this stapler is admittedly more satisfying to use than other regular 20-sheet staplers, it actually takes longer, makes you press harder. All of these claims are fabrications and I don't know how most people just let it slide.

Piece of junk. Wanted to replace my electric stapler and be able to staple sets of more pages. I expected from the reviews and description that this would be able to handle up to 45 pages. This does not have the capacity to do so effectively.

Just clogs every other time. It's frustrating.

Looks good but doesn't staple very well. You have to over squeeze it to and then only half the time it really works. It's also wide to grab a hold of.I will be ordering another one but I tossed out the packaging on this one so I will donate it.

The first strip of staples that went into got jammed up with the first "staple", after I unjammed it and cleaned it out it continued (with different kinds of staples i used) to jam up every single time, terrible stapler...

Purchased qty of 2. Both did not staple properly. Staples were loose, wiggled in the documents and would catch on each other and catch on my hands when handling a stapled document. I was very disappointed because i really liked the staplers.

It didn't smash the staple all the way down

We had it a few weeks and it broke! We have two other staplers in the office that have lasted way longer than this. VERY LOW quality item and I can't return or exchange! DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY!

I purchased this to replace yet another stapler that didn’t staple the amount of sheets it claimed. I just tested this on a 20-sheet package and not a single staple went through. After five staples, it started jamming. This is going back.

Liked mine at first, ergonomically handy, etc., had two. One jammed, not worth trying to fix so I just order a couple more, arrived today. The second box was not a stapler, it was pieces of a stapler. How this got past the most minimal quality control is a mystery. Appears to be a good product, but unfortunately in practice it is not. The ++++ stars makes no sense, based on my experience.

I'm one of those people that wants it to just work right the first time. This thing is advertised as low impact and staples like it's low impact. On a stack of two pages the machine doesn't even get the staples to fasten the pages securely. Each time I staple something I have to go and press the staples against the paper to secure them. I bought a stapler so I shouldn't have to be the stapler. I had one before that has since gone missing. I need to either find that one or find what kind it was and replace it because that one worked great.

It worked fine the first FEW times. After that, I would have to reset the stapler, pulling back on the top part so that the staples would move forward. It seems like a spring is defective. Also, it would not staple through a single manila file folder, which I expected to be able to handle. Very disappointed.

jammed a lot, broke very quickly, fourth swingline brand I tried.

I am surprised. Swingline has always been a reliable brand. This stapler broke the first time I used. The materials are brittle and cheap!