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Teachers love their laminators! But they also hate waiting to use the shared one in the teacher workroom (plus, why the heck is it always broken?). So it’s no surprise that over time, many teachers give in and buy their own personal laminators. These smaller machines can’t handle giant items like posters but do just fine for labels, signs, and the million other things teachers need to laminate. Here are our favorite picks for the best laminators for personal use, in every price range.
Even the best laminators require some basic know-how. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
There are a lot of terrific laminators out there, but thousands of reviews testify that these are the best of the best. We chose these based on their range of prices, reliable performance, and trusted brand names. There are excellent options here for every type of small laminating need!
This personal laminator has topped our list for years now, thanks to the 33,000+ five-star reviews on Amazon. It’s a mid-priced machine that laminates pages up to 9 inches wide in about 45 seconds, after a five-minute warm-up time. This model from a well-known brand has Never Jam technology, which keeps you from accidentally feeding in a project at an angle that could cause a jam. After all, the best laminators are the ones that don’t jam with your prized papers inside!
Real Review: “I am a preschool special education teacher and am constantly laminating to preserve items for years to come. I should also say that I put my laminators through the ringer! … LOVE! It surpassed my expectations. It’s nearly silent! … It also laminates fairly quickly! I would absolutely recommend.”
Buy it: Scotch PRO Thermal Laminator
Looking for a slightly larger personal laminator? This Mead model can handle pouches up to 12.5 inches wide, so it’s excellent for artwork or bulletin board decorations. With a quick three-minute warm-up time, it’s faster than some of the others on this list too.
Real Review: “If you are a teacher, you need this. Perfect size, easy to use, and does quick laminating! Way better than fighting with everyone else over the school laminating machine!”
Buy it: Mead Laminator HeatSeal Pro
The incredibly low price on this little workhorse will blow your mind! The brand name might not be quite as familiar, but it has thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon. Bundled with a paper cutter, corner rounder, and 20 laminating pouches, it handles 8.5-inch-wide items with ease. ADVERTISEMENT
Real Review: “I am a teacher and although we have a laminator at school, this Crenova Laminator is just perfect for my use here at home for school projects. In fact, it does a better job laminating than my laminator at school does. The Crenova doesn’t jam, the quality of the laminated product is much better, the preheat time is fast, and it is compact and very easy to use! I highly recommend this product for your home office!”
Buy it: Crenova A4 Laminator
This is the highest-priced machine on our list, but it’s one of the few that can laminate items up to 10 mil thick. That means you can send thick card stock and even thin cardboard through. The resulting product will hold up longer, even in tough environments. It laminates items up to 12 inches wide, using hot or cold seal pouches.
Real Teacher Review: “What a cool machine! I bought this for a friend who is a teacher … she wanted to use thicker laminating sheets and thicker-paper card stock to extend the longevity of the items laminated. … It is well made, heavy, and appears to be a professional machine that I believe will give her years of service. She is super happy with it and has reported to me that it is super easy to operate, the sheets regardless of mil come out perfectly laminated. Thanks, Fellowes, for producing a great machine a teacher can rely upon to create projects, and educating tools for her second grade classroom.”
Buy it: Fellowes Laminator Jupiter 2 125
These days, Amazon Basics products usually mean good quality at lower prices, and their laminator is no exception. This thermal laminator has a quick, one-minute warm-up with LED light indicator. It also includes two heat settings for normal documents and photos and another for thinner papers.
Real Review: “I’m a teacher and have access to a laminator at work, but wanted something at home for family items. This is awesome and works really well—can’t believe the price! The laminating film is much sturdier than what I’m used to at work, so I feel like things will last for a long time. Great purchase!”
Buy it: Amazon Basics 12-Inch Thermal Laminator
These laminators may not have made our top five, but they’re all fantastic options well worth your consideration. Any one of them would be a terrific addition to your teacher toolbox.
At less than the cost of a week’s worth of Starbucks runs, this little machine is definitely a bargain. It laminates items up to 9 inches wide, in 3-mil or 5-mil pouches. It has thousands of five-star reviews too.
Real Review: “I made bathroom passes, dry-erase exit tickets, etc. This thing is amazing. It heats up fast, completely seals the first time, and doesn’t get jammed … I like that it is tabletop, easily transportable (It fits in my teacher bag!), and cools down quickly for easy, safe storage. I can also report that this is the number-one recommended laminator in my teacher Facebook group. Some teachers have had theirs for 3+ years!”
Buy it: Scotch Thermal Laminator TL901X
Save space with this all-in-one option, which boasts both a built-in slider-style paper cutter and hole punch. The machine itself heats up in three minutes and has a quick-release button in case of paper jams. The bundle also includes a corner rounder punch and a pack of 10 letter-size laminating pouches.
Real Review: “I’m a first-year teacher. Our school laminator usually goes out of use every other week. I can now use a laminator at home without the task of using one at school! Instructions are very clear and easy to use. … It’s really straightforward and easy to use if you make sure you use it correctly. I’m loving my laminator!”
Buy it: Sinopuren 3-in-1 Personal Laminator
If colors draw you in, this pink one might be for you! This handy laminator is lightweight, heats up quickly, and has a cold feature for sensitive papers. Plus, you can also get it in white or blue.
Real Review: “I needed my own little laminator at my home office (to protect materials I was sending out to my students). This unit was so easy to use! It made a great seal with the quality-weight plastic sheets that were included in the package.”
Buy it: Swingline Inspire Plus Laminator
This laminator is a little more expensive than others on our list, but it’s ready to use in about a minute and works fast too. It can handle hot or cold seal pouches up to 12.5 inches wide and has an automatic shut-off feature.
Real Review: “I need a laminator that handles long running time and lots of materials being done. I’ve used several machines in the past and this one performs wonderfully. Warms up super fast. Great machine!”
Buy it: Fellowes 5736601 Laminator Saturn3i 125
For the low price, this laminator does a whole lot! The 9-in-1 Qfun is complete with rapid warm-up and precise heat and pressure to prevent wrinkling and bubbling. This machine also comes with an automatic shut-off function to save energy.
Real Review: “It’s super easy to set up and run, and the results are excellent. I love how easy it is to use. And it’s all in one; you won’t be looking for a piece you left sitting somewhere to finish the job! I have tested it out making several things now. From price tags for the craft shows, bookmarks, even awards and certificates of achievement. This is a really cool device.”
Buy it: Qfun 9-in-1 Thermal Laminator
If you’re looking for an inexpensive laminator with great reviews, look no further than the Suntiko 4-in-1 Thermal Laminator. This small but mighty machine heats up in two to four minutes and is equipped with jam-prevention technology. If customer service is something you value, this company allows a one-year return policy. Not too shabby!
Real Review: “Who doesn’t love a good laminator? This laminator is super sleek and fits anywhere. The laminator gets hot and it does as expected. I really like that this laminator has an added feature of a paper cutter; a super-neat idea. This laminator is quite easy to use and it laminates your document seamlessly without bubbles or curled paper. It also does not jam. Super easy to use, I have my 4th grade students assist with laminating papers. If they can do it, any adult can do it as well. I highly recommend this laminator.”
Buy it: Suntiko 4-in-1 Thermal Laminator
This machine is a bit on the pricier side, but the quality really makes up for it. The sleek design and quick speed allow you to laminate up to 17 papers in 10 minutes. This user-friendly machine is perfect for any teacher who wants an efficient laminating job with great results.
Real Review: “Love this laminator! I have no problems with this laminating machine. I’ve been able to laminate thin, thick, and card stock paper with ease. I do recommend it for teachers or anyone who needs to laminate things. It’s very easy to store when not in use.”
Buy it: GBC Fusion Thermal Laminator
No fancy bells or whistles, just a well-priced laminator that works with hot or cold pouches. It comes with 40 sheets to get you started, plus a paper cutter and corner edger too.
Real Teacher Review: “I bought this personal laminator for my classroom, due to the big school laminator constantly being broken. This handy personal laminator is a great deal and super easy to use. It is perfect for regular paper-sized pieces to laminate. It’s not suitable for larger items, but on a day-to-day basis, I’d highly recommend this compact laminator for all teachers.”
Buy it: Buyounger Hot and Cold Laminator
Here’s another terrific bargain choice for classroom laminators. This one promises to make it easy to remove any potential jams with a simple-to-use lever. Give it a try using the selection of laminator sheets in various sizes that come in the box.
Real Teacher Review: “This was my first laminator purchase as a teacher for years. It is very light but very easy to use. I have become addicted and want to laminate everything. I’m very happy with my purchase.”
Buy it: Kejector A4 Laminator
With the ability to accept items up to 10 mil thick and 12 inches wide, this one is a good pick if you regularly laminate card stock. It heats up in less than a minute and laminates items in a flash too. Some reviewers note that this is a noisy machine, so bear that in mind if you’re planning to use it in the classroom while students are working.
Real Teacher Review: “This has been the best I have bought. Being a teacher I need to laminate a lot of things and this is up to the challenge.”
Buy it: Sinchi Heavy-Duty Wide Laminator
Every product is independently selected by our team of teacher-reviewers and editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.
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Jill Staake is a Contributing Editor with We Are Teachers. She holds a B.S. degree in Secondary English Language Arts Education and has taught in both middle and high school classrooms. Her background also includes vocational training and performance support, curriculum design and development, and museum education. She’s written hundreds of articles across the web on a vast array of educational topics including her top passions: reading, writing, and science. You can reach her at jill.staake@gmail.com.
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