Best Laminator 2021 – Buyer’s Guide

A generous warm-up time of four minutes, great price and plenty of user-friendly features make this one of the best laminators for home use and ease.

Documents from recipe cards to certificates can be laminated using the 80-micron pouches. This is seen as the standard thickness, and you get ten free pouches so you can start as soon as it arrives.

After 30 minutes of being left on idle, the Fellowes L80 will automatically go into sleep mode, so you won’t leave it on accidentally or for so long that it overheats. This also helps to save energy, yet it is there instantly when you need it.

Should you need something which can go up to A3 size and has a super fast warm-up time, say if you need it for business use, then this is the one.

It can cope with sizes from ID to A3, and up to 2 x 75 or 2 x 125-micron pouches. If you use the former, the job can be done in just 30 seconds. A green light and audible beep will tell you when the laminator is ready to use.

With suitable self-adhesive pouches, you can use it as a cold laminator. This means it won’t need electricity supply and will be safer too. There is an adjustable guide so the paper can be lined up exactly, to lower the risk of jams or wonky jobs. Unlike a lot of other models, there is an exit tray, so you don’t have to be there to catch the end result.

It can laminate up to 17 A4 sheets in around 10 minutes, so if you need something quick, flexible and stylish, you can’t do better. It is also available to buy in A4 size with longer warm-up times if you want to spend a bit less.

If you need a laminator suitable for home but which can deal with slightly thicker tasks, this Rexel is a lovely price and compact size.

It is a pouch laminator, but you can choose to use it either as a cold or hot laminator, so heat activated or self-adhering pouches can be used. The pouches need to be 125 microns thick, but this gives you a good level of stability if the paper is extra precious.

There is a release lever which will allow for easy access to the paper in case it jams, so you can rectify the issue before either the laminator or paper is ruined. Just remove or realign them as appropriate.

It takes four minutes to heat up, which is around average. In all, it does what it is meant to, and is a good price to say you can use it as a cold laminator too.

Nice and easy to operate thanks to the simple rocker switch mechanism,

Thanks to a maximum 160-micron pouch ability, your end result can be as flexible or foldable as you need. It takes about 3-5 minutes to warm up, but once it gets there, the printing speed of 30cm/min is good for the size and price of the product.

If your paper happens to jam during the process, a little lever on the rear of the unit can help you get it out safely without causing further damage. The paper isn’t ejected automatically, but for this price, that is a perfectly acceptable issue.

As a bonus, it cools down quickly, so if you like to get the job done and everything packed away ASAP, it’ll be safe to do so.

Complete with a free pack of Leitz UDT laminate pouches so you can get going straight away, this is a lovely little laminator for use at home.

There is a three minute warm up time and LED lights will let you know at what stage of the warm up process it is at. An anti-jam system is in place so you can keep going without having to pause and rectify any issues.

When it hasn’t been used for 30 minutes, it shuts to stand by mode, so saves electricity yet gives you the chance to pick up where you left off.

There are cheaper options out there, but the overall ease of use and style of this model, plus the fact that it feels substantial, make it worth that extra money.

With a couple of modes to choose from depending on your needs, this is one of the most flexible laminators on the market.

The 5-in-1 idea comes from the fact that as well as laminating, it can round corners, trim sheets, create patterned edges and create photo frames. So even if all you need is a laminator, the other functions could come in handy.

It isn’t the most stable at all of the extra functions, so perhaps best if you would occasionally use them as opposed to them being must-haves. For home use, however, it is perfect. That is before we have even mentioned the price, which is fabulous for something which does so much. If you want a laminator for craft purposes, or perhaps for a younger person who wants to make their own art and bookmarks, it is ideal (although we will say it gets very hot).

Capable of laminating both A3 and A4 sizes, the Lunar+ is perfect for home offices, creatives or professional environments.

It will heat in 4 minutes and has a laminating speed of 30 cm per minute, so you can get the job done in good time. A release trigger will allow you to realign any wonky or jammed documents, so you can rectify issues before they become problematic.

Some laminators aren’t suitable for covering photos, because they won’t work with the glossier finish and could cause the ink to become damaged. This model, however, is photo capable, so if you like to laminate your photos and memories for display purposes, you can.

It is a step up from the previous Lunar model, and for not much more money, you get a much bigger micron capability, quicker heat time and much more snazzy design.

Complete with both hot and cold laminating options to cater for every need, this Bonsaii model is good for both home and office use where tasks will change from day to day.

You get five laminating pouches included as a starter, so can get a good feel for using the machine before you take on the more serious stuff. It is designed to heat up in about three minutes, so you’re not left waiting for ages, and

An ABS jam release switch will help clear blockages, and you can even seal damaged items with no trouble is the Jam Protection System is activated. So if you have that bit of paper with your Nan’s favourite lasagne recipe on but which is folded, tattered and torn at the edges, you can finally seal and protect it without risking it becoming further ruined.

For a final point, it can work for a long time without coming close to overheating or struggling if you switch it to cold every so often.

With a two roller system in place which gives the perfect pressure for both hot and cold pressing, this is a flexible laminator model which gives a great consistent performance.

After the 3-5 minute warm up time, you are good to go. The end results are quick and bubble-free, and instructions are easy to follow so you can set everything up perfectly to avoid any issues.

The cold option requires no pre-heating and is fully safe, and if you use the hot function, the auto shutdown will prevent it from overheating. If the paper jams, just press the ABS button and you can release the problem with no trouble.

When it is good to go, the Ready light will turn green, so you always get perfect results. There are some pouches included with the purchase, so you’re good to go out of the box.

If you want something cheap and cheerful for your office, then the AmazonBasics range is always a great idea. This is our winner for the best cheap laminator, and while it isn’t perfect, the results are still worth a go.

It can be used with laminate pouches up to 5 mil thick, so is good for those jobs which still need a bit of a give and bend feel. Amazon has made its own dedicated pouches for use with the product, which is reasonably priced and sufficient.

The overall size is very compact, so it is good if you want to be able to keep it out all of the time for immediate use but are low on desk space. It will accommodate sheets up to 13 inches wide, so should easily suit your everyday needs.

It doesn’t give the most reliable results. Users comment that it occasionally snagged or bent the sheets, so may not do if you’re constantly sealing precious one-off documents, but if you have back-ups, you’re good.