Laminators play a crucial and often overlooked role in our lives. More than just a popular tool for crafters, teachers, and office workers, the right laminator can make the difference between a one-of-a-kind document being kept safe, in pristine condition forever, and having your precious item be destroyed due to unavoidable everyday dangers such as water, coffee, and tearing. With high quality modern laminators being so affordable and easy to use it is almost inexcusable to deny the temptation of owning one. However, considering the hundreds of laminators for sale under so many different brands, styles, and varieties of details, it can feel impossible trying to find which is actually best for you. That’s where our list comes in. We took our time and researched the very best top 10 laminators available today, being sure to pay close attention to every specification, previous review, and more, in order to give you the best options possible. Whether you are a fun parent, just looking for a basic laminator for makings arts and crafts with the children or you are a businessman looking for the highest quality unit to handle your every product, or anything in between, our list has the perfect laminator for every situation.
1. Swingline GBC Thermal Laminator
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Why we like it: Anyone would be smart to consider Swingline GBC thermal Laminator.
Affordable, great reviews, easily one of the easiest laminators to use and among the best looking design, it is no wonder how Swingline ended up on our list. To use this model all one has to do is turn it on, wait 1 minute for warm up, until the “Ready” LED turns on, then just insert your item into the feed slot and wait! Laminate up to 17 documents in 10 minutes, with 19″ per minute laminating speed. Eco-friendly and energy saving as well, you won’t be having to worry about using this product often as it consumes less than 50W. As with most laminators on our list, you can expect this unit to have a release lever to fix jams and re-center or remove documents that otherwise might have been damaged or stuck during lamination. The Swingline GBC Thermal Laminator should definitely be a top contender for users looking for a simple and well-designed laminator on a budget.
2. Zoomyo 9″ Hot & Cold Laminator
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Why we like it: Are you looking for a reliable laminator that is affordable and works well? The Zoomyo 9” Hot & Cold Laminator earns our top spot for being the perfect option for the average user whether that be for home or at the office. Featuring a smart design made to handle both 3 and 5 mil hot lamination pockets without adjusting, the heat setting it is easy to use. The cold setting then provides users with comfort laminating those precious old photos and documents that might otherwise be damaged by heat. Equipped with ABS jam release technology, the Zoomyo will easily help you remove misfed documents. Environmentally-conscious people will enjoy the Zoomyo’s innovative Eco-PTC-Technology that saves up to 75% energy-consumption while containing no harmful flame retardant materials like other brands. Simply put by verified purchaser RJT, “This thing is a little workhorse for the money. Everyone in our office has used it for presentations, phone lists, ID cards….and it works perfectly. Great value.”
3. Scotch DL955 Laminating Dispenser
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Why we like it: If you read our chart, you might be asking yourself, “Zero temperature settings? Zero warm up time? What does that mean?” It means that this product is the most unique on our list, and in a very good way. Able to laminate documents and apply adhesive for labels (or both at the same time!) this model requires no power, no battery, and no heat. It emits no odor and is safe for children. Easily powered by hand, users will find that this lightweight device is surprisingly durable. Many satisfied owners, such as “Kim in MT” on Amazon, praise it saying “I have had this laminator for almost 5 years. It works great and is so handy to have around. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in purchasing a laminator!” Simple is often better and that is definitely the case here. Incredibly easy to use, endlessly loved everywhere we could find on the internet, if you can afford the steep budget, you’ll find this model is a great value for the brilliant quality.
4. Purple Cows Hot and Cold Laminator
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Why we like it: Purple Cows Hot and Cold Laminator offers remarkable technology for the expense. Warming in up in as little as 3 minutes this laminator uses 50% less electricity than most competitors. What makes this product stand out above the rest though is it is by far the cheapest laminator that offers the cold lamination option. Other models with similar options with end up running you at least twice as much! If you have fragile materials you want laminated, like old photos, that might otherwise be damaged by the intense heat of hot laminators, you’ll want this model. Of course you can still use the 3-mil or 5-mil thickness heat lamination options as well. Innovative engineering, budget-friendly and superb quality.
5. Scotch PRO TL1306E
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Why we like it: Scotch PRO TL1306E is a laminator designed with businesses in mind. Utilizing 4 rollers, users seeking a professional looking finish will notice the quality difference immediately. Quick to handle any needs you have, the Scotch PRO TL1306E has a spacious 12.3-inch width able to handle nearly any document; a lightning fast warm up of just one minute, equal to the fastest heating laminators on the market; high-speed laminating of 18 inches per minute with jam prevention technology, automatically preventing those otherwise inevitable accidents; more lamination thickness options than most competitors, offering a separate setting for 3, 5, and 6-mil thickness; and to top it all off, this model goes out of its way to make your life simple – underside cord storage, folding input tray for easy loading or storage, auto-reverse feature to retrieve pouches, and an auto shutoff function after one hour of inactivity to help conserve energy. If you are looking for a formidable laminator that can work well for your company, you will certainly want to consider the Scotch PRO TL1306E.
6. Fellowes Laminator Saturn3i 125
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Why we like it: If we had to describe the Fellowes Laminator Saturn3i 125 in a single word, that word would be “Premium”. While more expensive than most of its competitors this model can handle just about anything and offers some of the best options and features on the market. To begin with, it is clear Fellowes put in the extra effort to make their model more than functional, but fashionable as well. Unlike most laminators that look like massive ugly blocks, the Saturn3i 125 is designed to look classy and sophisticated in any environment. More than looks though, this model also offers the fastest warm up speed available, just a single minute! The 3-mil and 5-mil thickness hot lamination settings come as no surprise, likewise with its cold setting, considering the high quality standard given to this product. The shining achievement Fellowes gives us however is the auto shut off function to save energy and prevent overheating. Now once you consider the luxurious 12.5 inches of width available for usage and add in a jam release lever to disengage pouches for re-centering or removal, you have yourself a great recipe for a top-notch unit.
7. Swingline Inspire Plus Thermal Laminator
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Why we like it: The crowd favorite of our list is the Swingline Inspire Plus Thermal Laminator. Affordable, reliable, and feature-rich enough to rival the our top-rated model, the Zoomyo 9” Hot & Cold Laminator, this model has proven itself and earned its high position on our list with a nearly perfect history of pleasing customers. Featuring a cold lamination option and hot lamination for both 3mil-thickness and 5mil-thickness pouches, this model will handle most tasks expertly. If something does go wrong though, don’t raise your blood pressure stressing over it, the Swingline Inspire Plus comes with a jam release lever to fix most problems and a 90-Day warranty if all-else fails. Best of all, this is one of the easiest laminators on our list to use! Simply insert the item you want laminated and the laminator will feed itself the item, all you have to do is take it out when it is ready!
8. Marigold LM341B
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Why we like it: The Marigold LM341B isn’t your average laminator. Well designed in essentially every way the LM341B is a great choice for businesses who are looking for a high quality product that can churn out 100 sheets of letter size objects per hour. Engineered with a professional four roller design, two for hot and two for cold laminating, your item will be much safer than being ran through other models. Able to warm up in a record setting single minute for its 3mil temperature setting, Marigold doesn’t keep you sitting around and waiting on it like some competitors. Even the higher 5mil temperature setting will take two and a half minutes, at most. Featuring plenty of little bells and whistles such as a ready light to signal when the machine has warmed up, the Marigold LM341B’s best feature is likely the un-jam document button that when pressed, will ensure your important document is ejected safely. Oh, and did we mention it offers the largest width for laminating objects on the list at a massive 13 inches? If you’re looking for a high quality professional laminator, this is it.
9. AmazonBasics Thermal Laminator
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Why we like it: The brand name AmazonBasics capture the goal of this product perfectly. A standard laminator for a nearly unbeatable budget from a brand name you can trust. This model from Amazon has everything you need and expect from a basic laminator – Nine inches of width that will fit most anything you need to laminate, two heat settings for 3mil-thick and 5mil-thick laminating pouches, and so forth. Our list isn’t for the standard though, it’s for the best, which Amazon proves to make itself with this laminator. You also get a quick, four minute warm up time; a clean and attractive compact design, perfect for any home, office, or classroom; a jam release lever to save your documents, should an error ever occur; and of course, as no surprise for the Amazon brand, over a thousand satisfied customer reviews to give it some of the best credibility on the market and make this a top choice for someone just looking for the basics.
10. Apache AL13 13″ Thermal Laminator
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Why we like it: Attention frugal shoppers, this is your product! The Apache AL13 13” Thermal Laminator is without a doubt the best deal you will find on a well-made, large width laminator. This machine is cheaper than every other laminator on our top 10 list this excellent model can laminate items up to 13 inches wide using two silicone rollers. Designed with two “Power” and “Ready” LED indicators you won’t have to worry about messing up your laminations with guesswork. It is sleek, compact, lightweight, and of course, as with any product on our lists it is well-received by nearly everyone. The Apache AL13 may not have all the bells and whistles of the several hundred dollar laminators, but it does everything you need, and it does it well for an unbeatable budget and trusted quality. Simply put, if you are looking for a proven, large-width laminator on a tight budget, you won’t find better.