Written by Deirdre Mundorf | Published 6:34 PM, January 5, 2021

If you purchase a product through one of our links, BobVila.com and its partners may receive a commission.

Laminators or "laminators" can preserve important items by wrapping them in plastic. These beautiful machines use heated rollers to melt glue onto the composite film. You can use a laminator to protect important documents from tearing or fading over time. The laminator can also be used to create temporary dry erase lists and shopping lists, or save family photos or embossing, and many other applications.

If you are not familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of laminators commonly used today, finding the laminator that best suits your needs may be a challenge. Please read on for some tips and guides that will help you navigate and choose among the available options-and don't miss our selection below!

When looking for a laminator, please determine whether you need a hot laminator or a cold laminator. Each type has advantages and disadvantages.

As the name suggests, the thermal laminator uses heat to melt the adhesive material on the laminated bag or film. When the adhesive melts, the sides of the pouch or film will stick to each other, wrapping up the items to be stored. Thermal laminators provide a quick and easy way to protect documents, and can often produce more durable finished products.

However, thermal laminators are not entirely user-friendly. Learning how to use one to provide perfect results may take some time. They also start slowly and require a lot of heat to work properly. If used improperly, users may burn themselves.

The cold laminator does not heat, but uses pressure to completely seal the adhesive to the laminated bag. Unlike laminated bags used by hot laminators, cold machines do not require heat to seal the bags. The laminator helps remove bubbles and creases to create an attractive finished product.

Cold laminators are generally cheaper and easier to use than hot laminators. In addition, the cold laminator can laminate one or both sides of the article, which is useful when making decorations or decals. On the other hand, articles laminated with a cold laminator may not be as durable as articles laminated with a hot laminator.

Once you have decided on the type of laminator, there are some shopping considerations to consider. Each laminating machine provides different functions, and understanding these functions can help you choose a model that can provide the desired result.

The compound machine has bag type and roll type. The bag laminator seals special, pre-determined size laminated bags, while the roll laminator uses two rolls of laminated film.

The size of the film bag is specially designed for business cards, photos, letters, legal documents, etc. If the item is not a standard size, please cut off the excess material after lamination. In a pouch laminator, each item must be put into a pouch and passed through the machine one at a time; therefore, the working speed of the bag laminator is not as fast as the roller laminator.

The roll compound machine is wider than the bag compound machine, it can compound more than one item at a time, and it has two rolls of compound film. One layer of film is located under the item being laminated, while the other layer is located on top of the item.

When the article passes through the roll laminator, the heat causes the two films to bond to each other. Roll laminators are more expensive than bag laminators and require a lot of space. The roll compound machine cannot be placed on a drawer or shelf when not in use.

Early in your decision-making process, determine the number of rollers you want your laminator to be equipped with. Laminators with more rollers can dissipate heat better, which helps melt the adhesive. The more rollers of the laminating machine, the greater the pressure exerted on the coated items, resulting in a tighter seal and fewer bubbles or wrinkles.

Laminators usually have two, four or six rollers, but some may have more. If you choose a machine for personal use, two to four rollers may be sufficient. On the other hand, for schools or workplaces, you'd better choose a model with at least six rollers.

The thermal laminator needs time to heat up. The time required for the laminator to heat up varies from model to model.

Consider the lamination speed of any model you are considering. Especially if you plan to laminate multiple projects in a single session, a faster model may be more suitable for your needs.

Some roll laminators also provide adjustable speed settings. When laminating multiple smaller items, a slower speed may help.

Finally, consider how many different types of items the machine can laminate. Some laminators can only cover paper products, while other models can only handle slightly thicker items such as flowers, fabrics or leaves.

Using InstaHeat technology, Fellowes can heat up quickly (within 60 seconds) and can laminate at a speed of 31 inches per minute. Although many personal laminators have only two or four rollers, this model utilizes a six-roller system to ensure that everything is properly sealed and bubble-free.

The Fellowes laminating machine can be used for hot or cold bags with a thickness of up to 10 mm. This machine also has an AutoSense system that can automatically adjust its settings according to the thickness of the bag used.

Use Fellowes' heavy-duty laminator to laminate documents up to 12.5 inches wide. This model can accommodate 3 mm and 5 mm hot laminated bags and self-adhesive cold laminated bags. Its maximum speed is 12 inches per minute.

Other laminators may take up to 5 minutes to be ready, and Fellowes uses InstaHeat technology, which means it only takes about a minute to warm up. In order to save energy and prevent the machine from overheating, Floroes will automatically shut down when not actively used. It also comes with 10 sample laminated bags to help you get started.

GBC can help teachers and other professionals quickly laminate paper stacks, posters, decals and other materials up to 27 inches wide. It also works very fast. This machine can laminate up to 120 inches per minute. During the laminating process, the alignment guide can help the user to keep the document straight when feeding, and the AutoSpeed ​​function of the device will automatically adjust the speed to the ideal level according to the specific document being laminating.

The 10 minute warm-up time warms up the laminator and is ready for use. Use it with laminate films up to 3 mm thick. The front and rear buttons allow the user to stop the laminator to prevent wasting film. GBC also has an automatic shut-off function and a protective cover that helps prevent accidental injuries.

The ABOX thermal laminator uses a bubble heating system and thermal conductivity to uniformly heat the film bag and provide consistent, wrinkle-free results. Although it runs quietly, ABOX is not particularly fast. Heating takes 3 to 5 minutes, and the maximum lamination speed is 9.8 inches per minute. Please note that the machine can hold paper materials up to 13 inches wide.

Swingline's personal use laminator provides hot and cold settings to laminate documents up to 12 inches wide. Switching between the two settings is as simple as flipping the switch from one side to the other. The laminator has a single power setting and will automatically adjust to the thickness of the bag passing through it. It can be used with 3mm and 5mm laminate bags, and can laminate up to 10 inches per minute.

If you are looking for a lightweight and portable product, the Scotch laminator weighs only 1 pound and is well worth considering. This model has a 9-inch wide slot that can be laminated with 3 or 5 mm thick bags. According to your lamination needs, you can choose between two temperature settings.

Crenova can laminate paper up to 9.45 inches wide and is compatible with laminated bags up to 4 mm thick. Once powered on, the user must wait 3 to 5 minutes for the laminator to be hot enough to use it. The green light lets you know when it is ready to be used in laminated bags.

Once ready to use, this compact and lightweight model can laminate about 10 inches per minute. If any item being laminated is stuck in the machine, use the ABS lever to release the jam.

If you still have any questions about which laminator is best for you, the answers to these questions may provide additional guidance.

Yes, it is very important to consider the number of rollers in any model you consider. The laminating machine with more rollers distributes more heat and pressure to evenly and safely seal the items to be coated.

The most suitable bag thickness depends on your preference and laminate material. The thickness of the pouch is in millimeters. Some common thicknesses include 1½, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 10 mm. Thinner bags are more flexible, while thicker bags are more rigid.

The hot laminator melts the glue onto the plastic and seals the laminated items. On the other hand, the cold laminating machine can remove wrinkles or bubbles on the cold laminating bag. When using a hot laminator, bubbles or creases are more likely to appear.

Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide publishers with a way to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliate sites.

You agree that BobVila.com can process your data in the manner described in our privacy policy.

Copyright © 2021 Acton Media Inc. all rights reserved.