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We love our laminators! But we 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 of us give in and buy our 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 are our favorite picks for the best laminators for personal use, in every price range. bronzing machine
(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)
Even the best laminators require some basic know-how. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
The best laminators are the ones that don’t jam with your prized papers inside. This model from Scotch has Never Jam technology, which keeps you from accidentally feeding in a project at an angle that could cause a jam. It laminates pages up to 9 inches wide in about 45 seconds, after a five-minute warm-up time.
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 at Amazon
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 at Amazon
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 at Amazon
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 at Amazon
For the price, this laminator bundle gives you a whole lot of options. The machine can work with hot or cold seal pouches and handles paper jams with a quick-release button. The bundle adds a paper cutter, a corner rounder punch, and 20 assorted-size laminating pouches.
Real Review: “I’m a teacher and I have now laminated over 100 sheets. It is extremely awesome! It laminates within one minute per sheet.”
Buy it: Merece Laminator at Amazon
This thermal laminator has a quick, four-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 at Amazon
This machine has so many five-star reviews, we had to put it on our list of the best laminators. Bundled with a paper cutter, corner rounder, and 20 laminating pouches, it handles 8.5-inch-wide items with ease.
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 at Amazon
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 at Walmart
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 at Amazon
This is the highest-priced machine on our list, but it’s the only one 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 at Amazon
Besides just being a great laminator with jam-prevention technology and a fast warm-up process, this 4-in-1 lamination machine also includes a paper trimmer and a corner rounder. It also allows for multiple sizes of paper, so you can use it for all of your classroom needs. The cherry on top is the no-noise laminating process!
Real Review: “Very quiet, no loud noises. It heats up quickly and cools down in a reasonable amount of time. Works very well, and the bonus items were a plus. Good product for the surprisingly low cost.”
Buy it: Maxdone 4-in-1 Thermal Laminator at Amazon
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 at Amazon
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 at Amazon
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 at Amazon
The Voriah Thermal Laminator comes equipped with a 3-in-1 multipurpose tray to reduce paper jams and can be used as a paper cutter. The portable size of this laminator makes it easy to transport back and forth from school to home. For teachers looking for a simple machine with stellar features, try out this compact and lightweight laminator.
Real Review: “This product is fantastic! It is light in weight and does not occupy too much workspace. The paper cutter was a great design and easy to use. The overall operation is simple, and most importantly, it does not jam! I definitely recommend this laminator machine.”
You know you want one.
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Jill Staake is a Contributing Editor with WeAreTeachers. 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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