10 Best Tried and True Japanese Staple-less Staplers in 2022 (Plus, Kokuyo, and More)
This time around, we are introducing staple-less staplers! We know that a lot of you out there have begun to pay more attention to products' impact on the environment as well as how safe they are to use.
Our editors searched Japanese e-commerce sites (Amazon, Rakuten, and Yahoo! Shopping) for the most popular selling staple-less staplers and put them to the test to give you our highest recommendations!
We inspected each stapler for the following 4 criteria.
- Maximum sheets that can be bound
- Effort needed to bind
- Binding strength
- Neatness of bound area
Use our guide to help you find the staple-less stapler that's right for you!
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How to Choose Japanese Staple-Less Staplers
Just what should you be looking for when choosing a staple-less stapler?
Since you're purposely choosing a stapler that doesn't use staples, here are some specific things to look for pertaining to staplers of that kind.
Pick the Type of Bind That's Best for You
There are 2 kinds of staple-less staplers: ones that make holes and ones that don't. Both have their merits and demerits, which we'll explain to you below.
Perforated Type
Considered the standard for staple-less staplers, we have the perforated type which makes holes in your paper and then interweaves that part into itself without the use of staples.
The merit of the perforated type is that the paper is cut and then folded into itself, making for a firm bind. Their demerit is that it is difficult to disconnect the pages after binding them. That's why we wouldn't recommend these for those who wish to preserve their documents as best as possible.
Press Type
Recently, there have been a lot more press type staple-less stapler that do not create holes in your paper. Their merit is of course the fact that they leave your documents virtually unharmed.
One demerit, though, is that you're quite limited to how many sheets of paper you can bind at a single time. Also, the pages come apart rather easily since the bind is not all that strong. A certain amount of strength is needed in order to get the press you want so these kinds are not recommended for those in a hurry to bind documents.
Choose Based on How Many Sheets of Paper You Can Bind in One Go
Compared to regular staplers, you might find yourself a bit limited in terms of how many sheets of paper you can bind using a staple-less one.
Also, you'll see from the tests we conducted that each staple-less stapler varies greatly in the number of sheets of paper they're able to bind. Think carefully about what you're going to use it for as well as frequency of use before purchasing.
Go with One That's Easy to Use
If you're planning on using your stapler quite often you should think about how easy it is to operate. Use the results from our examination to find the best type of staple-less stapler that suits your needs.
Decide How Strong of a Bind You Want
Of course this will depend on which stapler you are using but staple-less staplers tend to have a much weaker bind than conventional ones.
There's no point is using a stapler if it doesn't firmly hold your paper in place, so try and confirm just how strong of a bind your stapler can make.
Choose Based on How Neat the Binding Mark is
We're certain a number of you out there are concerned with how your documents are going to look, whether you're using a press type or perforated type.
We're also certain that everyone has their own preference when it comes to this matter but we find that the best are the holed finishes that don't tear and retain their beautiful shape.
Pick Either a Handheld or a Desktop Type
Staple-less staplers often come in one of two styles: handheld or desktop. Find out which one suits your needs better.
The Easy-to-use Handheld Type
Since the handheld staple-less staplers are designed after conventional ones, you'll be able to operate them easily with only one hand. And not only are they easy to use; they're also usually quite compact, which makes them ideal for on-the-go situations.
The Stable Desktop Type
The desktop type staple-less staplers tend to be able to bind a larger number of pages at one time. Since you place them directly on desk or tabletops, you can easily exert power and get that firm bind.
10 Best Japanese Staple-Less Staplers Ranking
| Products | Image | Click to purchase | Popularity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sakuri Stitcher Max |  | No.1 | |
2 | Harinacs Compact Alpha Kokuyo |  | No.2 | |
3 | Paper Clinch Mini PLUS |  | No.3 | |
4 | Paper Clinch Desktop Plus |  | No.4 | |
5 | Paper Clinch Plus |  | No.5 | |
6 | Harinacs｜SLN-MS112D Kokuyo |  | No.6 | |
7 | Desktop Harinacs 2 Hole Type｜SLN-MSP110D Kokuyo |  | No.7 | |
8 | Harinacs Handy｜SLN-MSH110D Kokuyo |  | No.8 | |
9 | Harinacs Press｜SLN-MPH105W Kokuyo |  | No.9 | |
10 | Colorful Stapler Marutatsu |  | No.10 |
The Sakuri Stitcher is easy to handle, requiring little to no power at all so it won't tire you out. With just a simple grip of the handle, it can easily be used by the even the weakest of us.
It has a body of about 12 centimeters and weighed the least at just over 2 ounces. We found that we were able to use it over and over again without our hands tiring out.
We recommend this product not only for those finding themselves doing a lot of stapling at the office but also places like preschools or kindergartens that can use them for crafts.
Since the recommended limit of pages is only 5, this product wouldn't be ideal for anyone needing a stapler for a larger workload, but it's perfect for those with lighter tasks and who enjoy a comfortable feel.
Here we have the Harinacs Compact Alpha with 20% less resistance than its previous models. It actually ranked lowest in terms of maximum page limit in our testing, but with its comfortable, compact size, it's perfect for taking on the go.
The arrow-shaped binding mark proved rather strong. Although binding strength only received a score of 3, your pages won't come apart unless you really want them to. And with a maximum page limit of only 6, we recommend this stapler more for work at home rather than at the office.
For such a compact stapler that fits in the palm of your hand, it takes a little bit of power to bind your pages. And since the recommended limit of pages is only 4, its use is rather limited.
However, since it works much like a normal stapler would in terms of use, you'll get used to it in no time. Even though it takes a bit of strength to use, you'll be able to continue using it time and time again. With a low price and portable, compact size, we recommend it for those with only light stapling work.
This is a desktop-type stapler powerful enough to handle over 12 pages at one time. With such a high number of pages, you'll need to exert a little bit more force than you would with other staplers. The mark left after binding was the largest we found of all the staplers in our examination so choose which documents you'd like to bind carefully.
Even though this is a desktop-type stapler, its compact size is perfect for those wishing to do a lot of hard stapling.
This staple-less stapler is the proud winner of the Good Design Award. With not a lot of resistance when binding, you'll be able to bind your pages easily with the Paper Clinch.
One minor point is that it's only capable of binding 6 pages at a time. It may be used as a handheld stapler as well as positioned on your desktop. We especially recommend this for those with limited hand strength or who do an exorbitant amount of stapling.
One of the most powerful staplers we tested, this Harinacs model is capable of binding a total of 12 pages at once. But with this power came an unexpected hardness to the lever, which made it the hardest or second hardest to operate.
The arrow-shaped binding mark is rather large and catches the eye, so it's not recommended for those wishing to make a more simpler-looking bind.
First off, with the overall size of this stapler, you'll need a particular place to put it. This may be less than ideal for those wishing to use it quickly and efficiently. Being a desktop-type stapler, it uses a lever to bind pages, but we found that it takes quite a lot of effort in order to do so.
However, the punched holes can be used for a ring filer and there's no excess waste, so we recommend this for those working with documents needing to be filed. This is also the most expensive of all the staplers we tested.
This handheld stapler boasts the ability to bind a total of 10 pages but the more you use it, the more often your papers will jam.
But although the binding mark is arrow-shaped, you can be sure your documents will remain in place. Since there's a navigator attached, we recommend this stapler for those confident in their pressing power.
Out of all the staplers we tested, this was the only press-type one and we found it took quite a bit of strength to bind the pages. And since the hold is completely determined by how much energy one exerts when binding, we wouldn't recommend it for those requiring maximum binding power.
However, since the binding mark is almost nonexistent, we recommend you use this stapler on documents you wish not to punch holes into.
Here we have a cute, colorful, and compact staple-less stapler. It certainly is lightweight enough to carry around, but since requires pressing from above, strength is needed. Also, the more you use it over time, the worse the bind becomes and the binding mark also tends to become rather unsightly.
Taking its design and usability into account, we recommend it for use at home rather than at the office.
How We Tested the Staplers
We purchased the top 10 best-selling staple-less staplers from Japanese websites like Amazon, eBay, etc. and put them to the test!
We then tested each product for the following 4 points:
①：Maximum sheets that can be bound
②：Effort needed to bind
③：Binding strength
④：Neatness of bound area
※We used standard A4 size sheets of paper for our examination.
Test ① Maximum Sheets That Can Be Bound
First, we pushed the limits and tested to see just how many sheets of paper we could bind using each stapler.
※Warning: We did this as part of our examination, but we recommend following the maker's recommended limit of pages for the stapler you intend to purchase. If you do exceed that limit, we ask that you use your best judgment when using your staple-less stapler.
Some Staplers Were Able to Bind up to 15 Pages!
The 2 staplers that were able to bind the highest amount of paper were Kokuyo's Desktop Harinacs 2 Hole Type SLN-MSP110D (left) and PLUS's Paper Clinch Desktop (right) at 15.
Even though we pushed their limits, they both boast a recommended maximum of 12 sheets of paper. When attempting to bind a total of 15, you'll need to apply a bit more pressure to the lever.
The desktop type is a lot easier to apply pressure to since you can put all of your weight on it, making it easy to use for children as well as those without a lot of strength.
Test ② Effort Needed to Bind
Different from ordinary staplers, staple-less ones create holes or press marks and you can't really understand how tough they are without using them.
Using each stapler's recommended maximum amount of paper, we rated them on a scale of 1-5 based on how difficult we found them to bind.
＜Scoring Index＞
5： Needed to apply only slight pressure
4： Needed to apply normal pressure
3： Needed to apply a bit of strength
2： Was able to use only one hand but needed to apply a significant amount of pressure
1： Needed both hands
Sakuri Stitcher Was the Easiest to Use
The easiest to operate with its recommended paper amount of 5 sheets was Max's Sakuri Stitcher. Another good point was that it only weighs about 2 ounces.
Its binding was smooth and the mark it leaves is neat and clean. We found using it over and over was easy on the hand so you can staple to your heart's content. We found that desktop types were the ones capable of binding the highest amount of paper together but required more strength to operate.
Test ③ Binding Strength
We then tested for how strong each bind was. To do this, we bound 5 sheets of A4 in one area then applied weight to one of the sheets trying to see just how much each could take before giving.
We used gum syrup weighing in at 0.5 ounces each along with the clip and plastic bag needed for measuring, weighing in at a total of 0.39 ounces.
Harinacs 2-Hole Type Won the Strength Contest
The holes made with Kokuyo's Desktop Harinacs 2-Hole Type (SLN-MSP110D) can be used for filing purposes and proved strong, being able to withstand a weight of over 10.5 ounces.
We recommend this one for those of you who think that papers bound with staple-less staplers easily come apart. It's a desktop type and proven to firmly hold papers together. We also found that these desktop staplers tend to bind the most amount of paper and hold them together firmly in place.
Test ④ Neatness of Bound Area
We then rated each stapler based on how neat and clean cut their binding marks were.
＜Scoring Index＞
5： Extremely neat and clean cut
4： Neat and clean cut
3： Normal
2： Regrettable
1： Deplorable
Press-type Staplers Had the Best Look
The most impressive of all the staplers we tested was Kokuyo's Harinacs Press, which doesn't leave any hole at all. With this stapler, you could bind your documents firmly without the fear of jeopardizing its written integrity or without taking up too much marginal space.
With perforated types, there are half-ellipses or arrow-shaped holes, yet we found the ellipses to be more appealing. For those of you worried about the appearance of your documents, we recommend you choose either the press-type or a perforated-type that makes half-ellipses.
The descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
