Which laminator is best?
Whether you want to protect your kids’ drawings at home or preserve documents or files at your office, a laminator is handy. You don’t need to worry about items getting damaged when they are laminated. There are so many options on the market, but the GBC Thermal Laminator Machine is a great choice if you are looking for a top laminator.
What to know before you buy a laminator
Uses
You can use a laminator for crafting projects such as creating memory books for your kids, preserving your children’s artwork, pressing flowers, creating homemade playing cards or making bookmarks.
You can use a laminator at your office to laminate bar and restaurant menus, membership cards, training and education materials or price and parts lists. You might use a laminator at home to laminate photos, recipe cards, luggage tags, weekly menus and cleaning checklists.
Types
There are a few kinds of laminators out there, including hot laminators, cold laminators, roll laminators and pouch laminators.
- Hot laminators use heat to melt adhesive backing on pieces of plastic film, which bonds the plastic film around the document or item you’re laminating to seal it.
- Cold laminators, also known as pressure-sensitive laminators, use pressure to seal the plastic film around the document or item.
- Roll laminators work best for bigger items and use rolls of plastic film.
- Pouch laminators use pouches of plastic film into which you can slip the document or thing you want to laminate. Pouch laminators work best for small pieces of fabric or paper.
Capacity
The laminator’s capacity refers to the gauge or thickness of the plastic film, measured in mils, that the laminator is able to handle. Higher-gauge film is more rigid and thicker. There are a few different capacity levels, including standard capacity, medium capacity, rigid capacity and extra-rigid capacity. Standard capacity is 3 mils, medium capacity is 5 mils, rigid capacity is 7 mils and extra-rigid capacity is 10 mils.
What to look for in a quality laminator
Width
The right width for the lamination machine depends on the size of the documents and things you want to laminate. For example, photo laminators can laminate photos up to 4 inches wide, while commercial laminators can laminate things more than 27 inches wide.
Adjustable temperature control
Many hot lamination machines provide adjustable temperature control, which enables you to choose how hot you want the laminator to get.
Safety features
Look for a laminator with safety features to prevent accidents, especially if you select a hot laminator. For example, some laminators have an auto shut-off feature to keep the laminator from getting too hot if you forget to turn it off.
How much you can expect to spend on a laminator
Expect to spend $17-$300 for a laminator machine. The most basic and budget-friendly lamination machines cost about $17-$65, while midrange laminators go for $70-$175. High-end lamination machines vary in price from $180-$300.
Laminator FAQ
What is the most common mistake when it comes to purchasing laminators?
A. The most common mistake when it comes to buying a laminator is purchasing a laminator that is not big enough to handle the projects you want to laminate. Laminators that laminate items up to 12 inches wide tend to work well for home use, but you look for a bigger laminator machine for commercial or office use, where you will probably have to laminate bigger items such as signs and posters.
Which kind of laminator works well for fragile items?
A. You should avoid hot laminators when working with fragile items, since the heat can damage documents, photos and other items that are fragile. For fragile items, use a cold laminator, which applies pressure to seal plastic film around the items and documents.
Are laminators safe for kids to use?
A. Laminators work well for different projects that are fun for kids. That said, kids under the age of 12 should not use a lamination machine by themselves, since the laminator uses pressure or heat to seal the film. Children can use laminators with adult supervision as long as they adhere to correct safety procedures.
What are the best laminators to buy?
Top laminator
What you need to know: This fast and productive lamination machine from GBC can heat up quickly and has thickness detection features.
What you’ll love: This machine can laminate quickly with few or no errors. The thickness detection features makes it easy to laminate several materials without touching a lot of buttons.
What you should consider: This laminator can jam sometimes.
Top laminator for the money
What you need to know: This is a top-quality and affordable laminator machine from Scotch.
What you’ll love: An ideal entry-level machine for beginners, this portable and lightweight Scotch thermal laminator machine provides top-quality lamination, both hot and cold, at a very affordable price point.
What you should consider: This laminator machine comes with a long warmup time.
Worth checking out
Amazon Basics 9-Inch Thermal Laminator Machine
What you need to know: This portable and budget-friendly laminator machine from Amazon Basics is perfect for beginners.
What you’ll love: This Amazon Basics thermal laminator machine heats up in just three to five minutes and is simple to operate. The compact and portable design of the laminator fits well on a small table or desk.
What you should consider: This laminator machine can jam easily.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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