​Does your business or profession involve handling items like photographs or important documents like certificates, sales reports, ID cards, and invoices? If you’re looking to keep those documents safe and in good condition for a long time, the answer lies in laminating them.

We have reviewed 10 laminators that we feel are the best laminators for home use and at the office.

At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks for Laminators

Best Laminating Machine Reviews 2022

1. AmazonBasics Thermal Laminator

For starters, this pouch laminator is pretty versatile, easy, and whether you’re looking for a home machine or the best laminator for office use, it will work perfectly for you.

If you’re targeting ease of use rather than size or output, you will find this machine perfect because the guidelines contained in the manual are easy to read and understand. Furthermore, the machine features a simple, 2-roller feeding system.

There is also a indicator light that helps you know when the machine is sufficiently warm so you can start laminating.

If you’re in a hurry, this little AmazonBasics machine will be very helpful.

In only four minutes, you can start laminating and after the machine has warmed up, it takes less than a minute to laminate each paper.

Because the machine features two separate heat settings, one for 3-mil-thick laminating films and another for 5-mil films, you get to select the heat setting that suits your laminating films and save time if you’re working with 3-mil films.

This is a small size pouch laminator with limited output, and we only recommend it for small-scale laminating at home or at a small organization.

Highlighted Features:

• Comes with two laminating pouches that measure 9.4 by 11 inches
• Fast warm-up just four minutes
• Ready-to-laminate indicator light
• Laminates substrates with a width of up to nine inches

2. Scotch Thermal Laminator

What we loved most about the machine is that it is easy, lightweight and portable, a great size, and it does what it’s meant to do perfectly. But, you have to realize that the compact design and portable nature mean that the output is somewhat compromised.

That means you can only laminate items that are up to nine inches wide, and you can only a few dozen papers per day.

If you’re looking for a laminator for business use, this product will be unsuitable. But, if you’re looking for the best laminator for home use or a small-scale use at your business, the Scotch Thermal Laminator is a great choice.

It is very easy to use, as it features ergonomically designed controls. The Scotch Thermal Laminator has a jam release lever that stops the process when there’s a jam, and this can be very helpful for saving the machine’s components as well as time. You will be glad to see that the Scotch Thermal Laminator has this handy feature.

When it comes to speed, the machine is also great, as it takes just 7 minutes to heat up. Moreover, it laminates more than 11 inches per minute, which means you can do a 9-inch wide paper in less than a minute.

Highlighted Features:

• Warm-up time – 7 minutes
• Fast lamination – takes less than a minute to laminate 9 inches
• Two different temperature settings
• Laminates up to 9-inch-wide items
• Lightweight
• Easy to use

3. Swingline Lamination Starter Kit

If you’re new to laminating, the Swingline Lamination Starter Kit that comes with 15 pouches, a mini hole punch, and a 9″ trimmer is one of the best personal laminators. The price is also very affordable for starters.

This laminator features a single power setting which makes the Swingline easy to use. It also has a jam release lever that makes dealing with jams easy.

The warm-up takes only four minutes, which is pretty quick. The Swingline Lamination Starter Kit has an indicator that lights up when the machine is adequately hot, so you’ll always know when it is ready to laminate.

If you chose this laminator, you’ll have nothing to worry about as it supports cold laminating. There is only a single switch that needs to be flipped in order to do cold laminating.

We recommend this machine for small-scale use at home or in your office.

Highlighted Features:

• Comes with pouches, a trimmer, and other useful accessories
• Easy to use
• Has an indicator light
• Quick, 4-minute warm-up
• Works with both 3-mil and 5-mil pouches
• A base made of plastic for portability

4. Blusmart OL288 Laminator

The Blusmart OL288 Laminator not only has a jam release button to prevent papers from getting stuck in the machine, but also has an ABS button.  The ABS button comes in handy when there are papers stuck in the machine, and you’re looking for a quick way of removing them before they damage the internal parts. You just hit the button, and the stuck items are removed.

Sometimes, you will need to laminate items that are sensitive to heat, and in that case, you got to have a quality machine that can laminate both hot and cold, like this Blusmart laminator.

The preheating time needed for this machine fairly quick, ranging from 3 to 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the laminating material, making it just as easy and quick to use as the others in this list.

This laminator is perfect for laminating documents on a small scale at home or work. You can laminate items from the size of a business card to the size of an A4 paper.

A cool feature is the intelligent temperature control, which ensures the machine doesn’t get exceedingly hot. The working temperature ranges between 122 °F to around 131 °F.

Highlighted Features:

• Speedy preheating – 3 to 5 minutes
• LED indicator light for notifying you when the machine is ready to laminate
• 10-inch per minute laminating speed
• Cold and hot lamination
• ABS button for unjamming the machine

5. Fellowes Saturn3i Laminator

The Fellowes Saturn3i Laminator warms up in just one minute and laminates quality documents in just a few seconds. It’s one of the fastest and best laminators.

This machine accepts papers with a width of up to 12.5 inches, and accepts different kinds of pouches. You can use it to laminate 5-mil-thick pouches as well as 3-mil-thick pouches.

It also has a unique auto shut-off technology. After a period of inactivity, the machine turns off on its own which is very useful for conserving electricity.

Highlighted Features:

• Super-fast warm up – just one minute
• Hot and cold lamination
• Jam-release lever
• Ten free laminating pouches
• Auto shut off
• Accepts items with a width of up to 12.5 inches

6. Scotch PRO Thermal Laminator

We think the Scotch PRO Thermal Laminator is one of the best laminating machines because it comes with a 2-roller system. Having a 2-roller system means the Scotch PRO Thermal Laminator is able to switch between hot and cold lamination.

It heats up in just 5 minutes and laminates every item at a fast rate of 15 inches per minute.

The Scotch PRO Thermal Laminator accepts a maximum pouch width of around 9 inches which means it laminates each item in a matter of seconds.

Highlighted Features:

• Jam release feature
• 2-roller system that switches between the hot and cold lamination
• Five-minute warm-up
• Maximum pouch width of 9 inches
• Auto shut off technology

7. Marigold LM401 Thermal Laminator

If you need a nice, portable laminator for home or small-scale professional use, you will find the Marigold LM401 Thermal Laminator to be one of the best options. It’s a super-slim, lightweight machine that you can carry around without a problem.

The design of the Marigold LM401 Thermal Laminator is perfectly streamlined, making access to the features really easy. You’ll find it easy to use even if you’re a beginner.

The Marigold LM401 Thermal Laminator is a carrier-free machine, meaning it is not as durable as those with carriers because the carrier is meant for protecting the rollers from the adhesive on the laminating film.

As with many good laminators, this machine is sufficiently warm and ready to laminate in just about 3 to 4 minutes.

Highlighted Features:

• Modern professional look
• Warms up in 3 to 4 minutes
• 9-inch entry width
• Jam release button
• Easy to use

8. Fellowes Jupiter 2 Laminator

With the Fellowes Jupiter 2 Laminator, you get to tap into the power of the InstaHeat Technology. In just 60 seconds, the machine is warm enough and ready to laminate.

You can use pouches of any thickness without having to adjust the settings manually. When you put your pouches in it for lamination, the appliance’s AutoSense Technology kicks in and makes an automatic adjustment for the perfect job.

When you’re targeting small-scale to medium output, you need a robust laminating machine like this Fellowes laminator. With it, you can laminate hundreds of items per day and achieve clean, professional results for all of them.

As you will learn later, the more the rollers, the better the results. While most other small laminators have up to two rollers, this one has 6 of them, meaning the finish is of exceptional quality every time. That’s why we maintain that this is the best laminator for foiling.

Talking of speed, nothing does it faster than the Jupiter 2. We mentioned that it warms up in 60 seconds, but additionally, the laminating speed is 30 inches per minute, which is quite high. This makes it one of the best laminators available.

Highlighted Features:

• One-minute warm-up
• 6 rollers for a high-quality finish
• AutoSense technology for automatic adjustment
• Anti-jam feature
• Automatic shut off
• 10-mil maximum pouch thickness

9. Zoomyo Z9-5 laminator

The Zoomyo Z9-5 laminator saves up to 25 percent power compared to most other laminators, thanks to its Eco-PTC-Technology.

This machine allows you to laminate items both hot and cold. You can use it to laminate items that are up to 5 mils (when doing hot laminating) or 10 mils (when doing cold laminating).

It is perfect for frequent lamination at home or in a small office that has small-scale to medium-scale laminating requirements. It’s ideal for laminating ID badges, menus, price lists, photos, charts, and other documents.

The rollers are coated with silicone, and this ensures the seal applied to your projects is smooth and uniform. If you want results that are truly professional, you can’t go wrong with this machine.

With the Z9-5, there are no worries about jams, as the ABS jam release feature helps you remove the stuck documents quickly.

Everything from the design to the results is remarkable, and the weight is also perfect for portability.

Highlighted Features:

• Lightweight and portable
• ABS jam release feature
• Both hot and cold
• Fine design
• Compatible with both 3 and 5 mil laminating pouches

10. 3M Laminator Kit

The thing we found most interesting about the 3M Laminator Kit is that it comes with many different laminating pouch sizes to fit all the needs of someone doing small-scale laminating.

There are 20 2.25 by 3.75 inch pouches, and 20 9 by 11 inch pouches. These pouches also work well with almost any thermal pouch laminator out there.

Measuring about 16 by 8 by 5 inches, the machine is small enough to fit in a tight working space. It also weighs in at only 4 pounds meaning it is easy to carry around. This laminator is, without doubt, an excellent choice for you if you’re looking for a good portable option.

Ideally, the appliance is meant for home use or light commercial use because it only accepts substrates with a maximum width of 9 inches and a maximum thickness of 5 mils.

While that might be a little inadequate for heavy commercial use, it’s perfect for small-scale lamination at home or in the office.

Highlighted Features:

• Sturdy
• Accepts a maximum thickness of 5 mils and a maximum width of 9 inches
• Many different pouches sizes
• Pouches are compatible with virtually any hot laminator
• Professional results

What’s the Best Laminator for Teachers?

The Scotch PRO Thermal Laminator is the best laminator for teachers. It laminates quickly and holds up throughout the years. The Scotch PRO Thermal Laminator also has Never Jam techonology which means it keeps you from jamming the laminator.

Conclusion

There you have it – a review of the top 10 best laminator machines plus their features. We hope you have selected one or two that fit your laminating needs. If you’re still considering what kind of laminating machine to buy, read more about the different types of laminator machines.

We have done our best to pick and review the best laminating machines that will work well for you for a long time.

But remember, the length of the laminator’s life depends a lot on how you maintain it, so be sure to clean the rollers periodically and observe the other maintenance measures we talked about.

We hope you found this post to be useful and that you will share it with your friends.