Who makes the best laminator?
Laminators are the best way to protect your documents and photos from wear and tear, moisture and other damage. Additionally, they make your photos and paperwork look sleek and professional. And since they are often compact and lightweight, they don’t take up too much space on your desk or in your home. They are easy to use, inexpensive and so long as they’re treated well, they tend to last a long time.
Whatever your project, there are several laminators available at great prices for you to use at home or at the office. Here’s everything you need to know to narrow down the selection:
Key features of laminators
Most laminators are compatible with letter, legal, business-card and photo-size papers, are typically user-friendly and are quite easy to operate. Having a laminator means you’ll have endless possibilities in terms of what you create; you can laminate anything from school work, important office documents and class projects to family photos, recipe cards and even artwork.
You’ll have to keep in mind what you plan to use the device for as you shop — laminating simple documents on occasion or for continuous professional use. While all laminators exist for the same purpose, some may be more durable or intended for heavy use, whereas others are intended for lighter use at home or a small business.
Some key features to pay attention to when deciding which laminator suits your needs best include:
Laminator pouch sizes
When considering purchasing a laminator, it is important to understand that laminators typically utilize two different sizes of lamination pouches — 3 mil or 5 mil (which are not the same as millimeters).
For clarification, if you’re looking to achieve a laminated document that is about the thickness of a restaurant menu, you would use a 5-mil pouch. These are most common, as they are sturdy but still bendable. 3-mil pouches are thicker and not as flexible. 3 mil is typical for thicker things, like photos or thin cardboard, whereas 5 mil is intended for paper.
Laminator heat settings and warm-up time
Laminators use heat to seal the adhesive around your document. Some laminators have one heat setting while others offer two or more. The heat setting is important because certain types of documents, such as photos or fragile paper, require a lower heat setting.
When you turn on your laminator, it should only take a few moments to heat up — some laminators have very efficient heat-up time, which is beneficial if you’ll be laminating when you’re short on time.
Laminator power settings
Although laminators can have hot and cold settings, most operate using heat, so having an auto-off setting included may be beneficial for you. Having a laminator that shuts off after a set amount of time can reduce the chance of harm being done if it is accidentally left on.
Laminators with no-jam technology
A laminator operates similarly to a printer, so paper jams can happen. Purchasing a laminator that was built with the intention to reduce these jams is a good idea to avoid this potential problem altogether. Paper jams are inconvenient and could potentially ruin your document.
Laminator size
While many home and office laminators tend to be similar in size, some are bulkier than others; if you have a small or cramped workspace, consider buying a more compact model.
In addition to their physical size, some laminators work with both 9-inch and 12-inch documents, while others only have a width to accommodate documents that are 9 inches or less. Always check the sizing requirements of each laminator before making a purchase.
The best laminators available now
Amazon Basics 9-Inch Thermal Laminator Machine: available at Amazon
The Amazon Basics laminator is the perfect tool for laminating documents at home or at work. It works with any 3-mil or 5-mil laminating pouch and includes two 3-mil pouches. It warms up in 4 minutes and has two heat settings.
Scotch Brand PRO Thermal Laminator: available at Amazon
This laminator never jams and has an automatic shutoff feature that helps conserve energy, so you can rest assured your documents will be safe. It has a 5-minute warm-up time and promises to run efficiently and smoothly every time.
BONSEN 4-in-1 Thermal Laminator with 50 Laminating Pouches: available at Amazon
The BONSEN laminator is equipped with a fast warm-up system, ensuring the efficiency of the lamination. It has a quick heat-up time of 3 minutes and a very fast laminating speed of 330mm/min. It also includes 50 3-mil pouches.
Fellowes 5736606 Laminator Saturn3i 125: available at Amazon
This laminator heats up in just 1 minute. It can accommodate multiple document sizes with its 12.5-inch entry width and also has a cold setting for self-adhesive pouches. You won’t have to worry about overheating or wasting energy because it has an auto-shut-off feature.
Scotch Thermal Laminator: available at Amazon
The Scotch Thermal Laminator is the perfect solution to preserve your memories, as it is specifically designed for basic documents and photos. It has a 9-inch opening and two temperature settings and creates high-quality, professional results that are free of wrinkles or bubbles.
TCCZCR A4 4-in-1 Thermal Laminator Machine: available at Amazon
This sleek, portable and easy-to-operate laminator has a 3-5 minute warm-up time. It also includes an ABS lever that prevents paper jams so your important documents won’t tear or rip.
GBC Thermal Laminator Machine: available at Amazon
The GBC laminator is available in two different sizes — 9 inches and 12 inches. This laminator allows you to get more done in less time, as you’ll be able to laminate 17 documents in about 10 minutes. It also has both hot and cold modes and a fast heat-up time.
Courtney Love is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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