Ranking of the best laminators for 2020

Lamination is used to preserve documents, photographs and other important paper carriers. Previously, this method was used only in printing, but now it is used in all companies and even at home.

What is a laminator and why is it needed

The first laminators were large machines that were only used in industrial production. About 20 years ago, manufacturing companies began to develop more compact models that would be suitable for use in firms and not only.

So, laminators are a special technique that covers paper with a transparent film, which retains the contents for a longer time. Thus, the surface of the paper carrier is protected from external factors, such as liquids, mechanical stress and much more.

Types of laminators

There are many products on the market - laminators, but they are all divided into several types:

• roll, such are used in the processing of volumetric surfaces and a large number of products, as a rule, they are used in printing houses, advertising agencies and other similar organizations. These machines take up a lot of space and use roll film;
• batch, have a more compact size, suitable for small printing houses, offices where the flow of documents for lamination is not large. In such devices, packages of the required format (A2, 3, 4, etc.) are used, it is not cut in order to reduce the format, but the appropriate size is selected from the provided product.

Since rolls are intended for large-scale industries, they most often use batch, the size of which allows them to be used even at home.

Pros and cons

When choosing a particular type of laminator, the buyer should consider their positive and negative sides:

• roll, the advantages include the ability to cover sheets with a format from 0A to 3A, also such devices have high productivity and are equipped with special heating rollers, which allows you to achieve excellent quality during lamination. For such devices, very thin films are produced, starting from 8 microns, and the consumable itself is much cheaper. The negative sides include the complex design of the machine, the dimensions, and also not all have the possibility of one and two-sided coating, and qualified specialists are required to manage them;
• package also have a number of pros and cons. The positive aspects include accessibility, ease of use, the availability of the function of one-sided and double-sided lamination, temperature and paper feed speed control is provided, and covers surfaces from A3 to A6. The negative indicators include the high cost of the material and the fact that they are not intended for permanent use. The size of the laminated sheet depends on the type of device, and one-sided lamination is possible only when using special bags.

As you can see, each type has both advantages and disadvantages that can play a significant role in choosing a model.

What to look for when choosing

Before purchasing a device, it is worth considering a number of working points, such as:

• what type and thickness of the coating will be used;
• paper weight and dimensions;
• volume of products to be laminated;
• how often the machine will be used;
• the presence of an automatic shutdown function, protection against overheating, temperature control;
• the presence of additional features, for example, glossing, matting.

It is also worth paying attention to how the film will be glued, there are two options:

• hot, in this case, the coating melts on contact with the heating element and adheres firmly to the surface of the paper under pressure, thus ensuring high-quality lamination;
• cold, designed for paper surfaces that cannot withstand high temperatures, in which case the film is attached due to cold glue and the pressure exerted by the rollers.

There are types of devices that can process documents in both ways, but their cost is much higher than those with only one option.

Types of films

The appearance of the document after coating will be affected by the type of film that is selected. There are several options:

• glossy, used in the processing of photographs, various illustrations, posters, as well as for book covers. Gloss emphasizes the color, but if small print is present, then such a film will make it merge and therefore is not suitable for documents with text;
• matte, used for drawing on business cards, certificates, certificates and other important papers, such a coating does not create glare and makes the text easier to visualize;
• textured, suitable for processing book covers, paintings, with the help of such a film it is possible to simulate fabric surfaces, wood, create the effect of splashes and patterns and much more.

In addition to appearance, such coatings are also distinguished by thickness, rigidity and the ability to pass air. These differences also affect its cost.

Specifications

Before purchasing, you should also pay attention to the technical characteristics of the selected device:

• how many rolls are installed, the more of them, the better the lamination process will be, since it is these parts that are responsible for pressing the film to the paper. The cost of the device also depends on the quantity;
• the speed of the procedure, it can be from 15 to 2000 cm per minute, that is, the higher it is, the greater the productivity;
• what paper size can handle;
• the thickness of the paper that the machine can handle;
• coating thickness provided for the model;
• the period during which the elements are heated;
• what material the body is made of.

Another important function is considered to be cold lamination, which allows the use of an adhesive backed coating that does not require heating.

Additional options

More expensive models are equipped with a number of additional features that simplify the workflow:

• reverse, an option that makes it possible to turn the shafts in the opposite direction, it is very convenient if a sheet is wound on one of them, if it is available, you will not need to disassemble the machine in order to remove it;
• photo lamination, not every model has a similar function;
• the presence of a regulator that allows you to control the temperature, they are automatic or manual;
• speed switch, allows you to independently adjust the speed of the machine;
• the ability to release sheets if they are skewed during lamination;
• the presence of a cooling system allows you to quickly cool the heated elements;
• Sleep Mode is a convenient function that helps to save electrical energy;
• Safe Start option that automatically determines the appropriate lamination mode based on the surface;
• Auto Shut off automatically turns off the device if it is not used for a long time.

Quite a few models are equipped with special legs that allow you to wind the network cable for easy storage, as well as handles for moving the machine.

Ranking of the best laminators for 2020

A fairly large selection of laminators is provided for users, they have a variety of additional functions, sizes, which allows you to choose a more suitable model. Among the products provided, a list has been compiled, which, according to the owners, includes the best models. In most cases, devices are divided into those that are suitable for the home and those that are suitable for running small and medium-sized businesses.

For home use

Typically, models suitable for home use or small offices are small machines that are suitable for infrequent use and allow coating on small formats.

DELI E3894-EU

This model is produced by a large Chinese firm that also produces office supplies. The device is suitable for working not only at home, but also in the office and allows you to cover A3 formats with film. It has a low cost and average power, there are restrictions on the density of the processed materials, it should not exceed 0.6 mm, the film thickness can vary from 60 to 200 mm. The body is made of high-quality plastic, in addition, an overheating sensor and a reverse are installed.

• suitable for a non-specialized office;
• can laminate sheets up to A3 size;
• quickly prepares for work;
• price.

• do not recommend using more than 10 times a day.

Brauberg L460

One of the most budgetary models that allows you to laminate A4 sheets, it is easy to use and small in size. The film is glued in a hot way, as for the thickness of the applied material, it can reach 125 microns, and the speed is 30 cm per minute. One of the main drawbacks is considered to be slow warming up for work, and therefore the model is perfect only for home use.

• inexpensive;
• easy to use;
• the maximum size of the processed surface A4;
• there is a heating indicator;
• allows the use of dense film.

• it heats up for quite a long time to working condition.

Office Kit L2305

An excellent model originally designed for office use. The device copes with a decent amount of work and quite quickly, but the preparation process, that is, heating the elements takes about 5 minutes, which is quite long. For work, use a film with a thickness of 75 to 125 microns. Among the additional options, one can single out the possibility of cold lamination, an indicator of readiness for work. The design of the model is so simple that it can be easily disassembled if the processed sheet is jammed.

• price;
• performance;
• suitable for various materials;
• suitable film of different thicknesses;
• several operating modes are built in (cold, hot lamination).

• heats up slowly;
• the legs of the model are rather low due to which the device may overheat); it must be installed on a stand);
• after heating, a slight odor appears.

Geha A4 Basic

Another device made of high quality plastic, which is perfect for infrequent use at home. Heating time can take from 3 to 5 minutes, there is a cold lamination mode, and for pasting, bags with a thickness of 80 to 100 microns are suitable. Also, this model has a button that allows you to stop the operation of the shafts at any time and a lamp ready for work. This unit does not have a cooling function and therefore will not be suitable for long-term use.

• not expensive and compact;
• can work with photos;
• there is cold lamination.

• no cooling system is provided;
• no reverse function.

GLADWORK jLAM Full

Small size batch laminator suitable for home use or small office. The model is qualitatively assembled, the case is made of high quality heat-resistant plastic. At the bottom there is a panel with five modes of operation. After switching on, the device quickly warms up to a working condition, has a high power (850 W) and a productivity of up to 300 mm per minute. The model can work with film thickness from 60 to 250 microns.

• high-quality processing;
• fast heating to working condition;
• compact size;
• long service life.

• the cost is higher than for similar models.

Fellowes Lunar + A4

The lightweight device with small dimensions allows you to work with sheets of up to A4 size. It takes about 4 minutes to warm up to a working state, after readiness, a green indicator light on the case lights up, and a lever is provided that unclamps the shafts so that you can pull out the sheet if necessary. This model allows you to use films from 75 to 130 microns and can process up to 20 sheets per day, which allows you to use it not only at home, but also in a small organization.

• price;
• easy to use;
• high-quality assembly;
• long period of operation;
• It does not require special care.

• odor may occur during prolonged use.

For business

More powerful models that can withstand the load for a long period. The cost of such machines sometimes differs significantly from those that are suitable for everyday life.

Pingda PD FM-360

The professional roll laminator, small in size and easily fits on the table, allows you to apply the film both one-sided and two-sided, cold and hot. The lamination speed is 1.8 meters per minute, which is a good indicator, which makes it possible to work with a large volume of products. The kit includes 2 silicone rollers with a hand clamp and a film cutter. The maximum roll width is 360 mm, and the diameter is 340 mm, for the convenience of using rolls of maximum length, special holders are built into the device, and there is also an option to turn off the heating of the lower roll. High performance, small size and inexpensive consumables make the device ideal for work in a printing house or other printing organization.

• excellent processing quality;
• fast speed;
• long period of service;
• inexpensive consumable;
• compact.

• special skills are required to operate it.

Buro SUPER-336

Laminator Buro SUPER-336 model is perfect for copy centers, photo studios, printing houses with a small circulation. Its metal body is assembled in such a way that, if necessary, it easily opens access to the 4 shafts located inside. Equipped with a display that shows the heating temperature, readiness for work, as well as a button for controlling the reverse and infrared heating of the shafts. Warming up to the desired temperature occurs in three minutes, and the area that the device can handle in a minute is 560 mm, a film with a thickness of 60 to 250 microns is a consumable. The technique is easy to use and does not require additional knowledge in order to fully use it. There is a drawback to be careful with, the metal body of the device gets very hot, but the provided cooling system quickly copes with the problem.

• modern design;
• high-quality assembly;
• no special skills are required during operation;
• quick preparation for work.

• works with formats up to A3 inclusive;
• the case gets very hot.

GBC Fusion Plus 6000L

Another small package laminator that is perfect for office work. The outer part of the device is equipped with a control panel, which allows, if necessary, to adjust the thickness of the bag, there is a signal that notifies the readiness for work and warns that the bag is in the wrong position.But most of the function is set in automatic mode, for example, the device itself determines the required thickness of the working material, turns on the reverse option if necessary, sets the temperature and speed of film application and automatic shutdown in case of idleness. The maximum size of the coated surface cannot exceed A3, and the applied film thickness varies from 75 to 250 microns. The machine warms up to working condition in one minute, and processes the maximum allowable area in 20 seconds.

• stylish, modern design;
• small size;
• short warm-up time;
• and fast lamination;
• the case does not heat up;
• long service life.

• limited format of processed sheets;
• expensive device.

Fellowes Proteus A3

An excellent laminator that allows you to process up to 100 sheets of sizes up to A3, per day, the heating rate is less than a minute, the coverage area is 1 meter per minute. 6 shafts are hidden under the body of the device, which provide uniform heating and high-quality polyethylene application, and the existing control panel allows you to set the desired temperature and speed. A film with a thickness of 75 to 250 microns is suitable for work. Despite the high quality of the manufactured products, Fellowes Proteus does not require special skills in work and therefore even a beginner can handle it.

• fast and high-quality lamination;
• easy to manage;
• the presence of 6 shafts.

• limited dimensions of the surface to be coated (A3);
• high price.

GMP Photonex-SYNC 235

One of the best semi-professional class devices, the body is made of high-quality hydrocarbon plastic that does not overheat during operation. In addition, a forced ventilation system is provided, which allows protecting the device from overheating during long-term operation. The design is equipped with a control panel that allows you to switch the sheet feed speed and roll temperature manually or automatically. This machine has a continuous operation time, it is 4 hours, after that the equipment should be allowed to rest for about 45 minutes.

• resistant to overheating;
• long service life;
• product quality is very high.

• expensive.

Bulros FGK-320S

The body of this device is made of metal, inside there are four rollers for hot lamination. The design of the model itself is simple, and does not require special skills and knowledge when working. On the front there is a display showing the heating temperature, enabling the reverse option. A cooling system is provided, but despite its presence, the housing of the unit gets very hot during long-term operation. In work, you can use a coating material with a density of 60 to 250 microns. The device quite quickly (3 min.) Heats up to working condition and allows laminating the surface at a speed of 560 mm per minute. So, Bulros FGK-320S is a reliable and high-quality laminator model, which is perfect for small copying or photo centers, printing houses.

• price;
• the quality of the products received;
• device reliability;
• film incandescence speed;
• suitable for different materials;
• long period of service.

• the case heats up with prolonged use;
• not suitable for large enterprises with a wide circulation.

If you are going to purchase a laminator, you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the device, and also take into account the conditions under which it will be used. Since models for home and typography have rather significant differences not only in cost, but also in productivity and quality.