Stapling without staples. Yes, OK, staples aren't a major problem for most of us, but filling a stapler is kind of fiddly. And most shredders don't like staples, so you have to remove them before shredding anything. And they can be quite annoying if they fall on the carpet. So maybe they are a bit of a problem.

And as for those who work in food production, or hospitals, where little metal staples can be a much more serious risk, they're a much bigger problem.

Well, the Staple-Free Stapler staples without using staples! How? It uses a clever little mechanism to cut and fold the sheets together, tucking a flap through a cut, linking the sheets together quite firmly. In use, though, it just takes one push, just as a normal stapler does.

As an added bonus, the holes left by the stapling process, where the tab is folded over, are about the same size as holes made by a hole punch. Use the guide in the base to staple twice in the right places, and the resulting stapled sheets can be put into a ring binder using the staple-holes.

There are, of course, some downsides to be aware of:

• It can only staple a limited number of sheets - 5 for the Hand Stapler, 10 for the Desk Stapler.
• Removing a staple leaves two small holes, if done neatly. The Staple-free Stapler leaves a bit more mess when unfolded.
• The fold of paper is thicker at the stapled point.

If those downsides aren't too much of a problem for you, why bother with staples again?