With that said, if you’re looking for a laminator for your home, office, or classroom, check out our list of the best laminators below.
What To Look for in Laminators
Speed
If you’ll only be laminating occasionally, you probably wouldn’t care so much about speed. But if you’re doing lots of laminating, you’ll want something to churn out finished documents as efficiently as possible. Look at how long different models take to warm up, as well as how many inches per minute they can laminate to compare speeds.
Size
Will you be laminating standard-size items like business cards or photos? Or will you be dealing with odd shapes and sizes? Think about your intended use to see if you should go with a standard laminator or one that can accommodate larger document widths. Also, look at the mil thickness—this will affect how thin and flimsy or thick and sturdy your laminated documents will come out.
Features
Automatic paper jam and thickness detectors, built-in paper cutters, and different temperature settings are just a few of the features that laminators offer. If any of those bells and whistles are important to you, see what’s included in the laminators you’re considering getting.
What can you laminate?
Laminators can be used to protect any piece of paper, from small documents like an insurance card or car registration to photos, school projects, and handouts.
What’s better, a hot or cold laminator?
There are pros and cons to both hot and cold laminators. The main difference is that hot laminators use thermal heat whereas cold laminators use pressure and films with stronger adhesives. Cold models may be safer since there is no risk of getting burned, but they are also pricier. Some laminators also have a cold setting that lets you choose between hot and cold laminating methods. For heat-sensitive documents, such as old photos, cold lamination may be a better choice.
What is the best temperature for laminating?
Hot laminators usually get to temperatures over 210 degrees, though some films that are classified as “low melt” can laminate at lower temperatures (around 185 degrees).
