Along with the purchase, you will get a whole set of accessories that includes A4, A5 and A6 laminating pouches (30 pieces in total), a paper cutter and a corner rounder for trimming sharp edges. That way, you will be able to start using the appliance out of the box.
It might take you some time to get used to using the corner rounder.
Equally good for home and office use, the Nic pow laminating machine will help you to laminate photos, documents, DIY projects and more. Compact and simple to use (the item has a single switch and a ready indicator light), the appliance is quiet in operation.
Heated
3 minutes
2
~ 300 mm/min
A4 size paper
Up to 0.5 mm
Ready indicator light, One-click jam release, 30 x laminating pouches (10 x A4, 10 x A5, 10 x A6), Paper cutter, Corner rounder
2 years, 24-hour customer service
Despite being lightweight and compact, this model boasts a fast warm-up time and lamination speed that will let you complete your tasks in a short while. A wide range of pouch sizes makes it suitable for laminating different things.
No anti-jam feature.
If you are not looking for something complicated, the Texet LMA4-V will be a good choice. It is designed to ensure simplicity and quality at a cheap price and will suit occasional office work and home use.
Heated
3-5 minutes
2
300mm/min
A3 size paper
0.45mm
Rocker switch, LED light
1 year
Thanks to auto shut-off feature, the unit will automatically switch off in 30 minutes of no-use to save energy consumption and can get back to operation at a single push of a button.
It takes quite a while to cool down after use.
The Sola laminator from Fellowes is a functional smart machine ideal for home use. Capable of accepting documents up to 125 microns thick, it is great for all sorts of paperwork. Meanwhile, really compact and lightweight, it can stand on the work desk and is fit for on-the-go use.
Heated
4 minutes
2
300 mm/min
A4 size paper
0.125 mm
2 LED indication lights, Jam prevention feature, Auto shut off
1 year
You can easily adjust the laminating thickness (80-125 microns) using the dial on the control panel. Taking about 3 minutes to preheat, the machine can operate for a long time, delivering smooth results without wrinkles or bubbles.
The ready indicator light could be brighter.
Switching between the hot and cold laminating modes is a breeze, which makes laminating temperature sensitive documents an easy task. Boasting a stylish and compact design, the unit needs little storage space.
Heated and cold
3 minutes
2
250 mm/min
A4 size paper
Up to 0.125 mm
Jam-release switch, 2 LED indication lights, 5 laminating pouches (3 x A3, 2 x A5)
1 year
The appliance is equipped with a release lever that will help you remove or realign the laminating pouch if jamming occurs. Thanks to ergonomic non-slip feet, the unit will keep stable on the desk.
The instructions could be more comprehensive.
Compact and cost-effective, the Rexel Style 2104511 can be used for either hot or cold laminating. Allowing you to laminate ID to A4 size documents, pictures and various hobby projects, the unit can be recommended for both home and office use.
Heated and cold
4 minutes
2
250 mm/min
A4 size paper
Up to 0.125 mm
2 LED indication lights, Release lever
1 year
Single Switch Operation
Even the brightest pictures fade with time, and the only way to prevent discolouration, deformation and cracking is to laminate them. Waterproof and dustproof, the plastic film will protect pictures, documents, drawings and other valuable papers from wear caused by humidity, dryness, UV rays and other factors. Moreover, it will help prevent mechanical wear and tear and keep important frequently-handled documents in good condition.
The Nic pow laminator machine is a high-quality and easy to use device that will help you extend the life of your valuable pictures, documents and works of art. Designed for laminating up to A4 size papers, the appliance is equally good for home and office use. Along with the purchase, you will get a set of laminating pouches of assorted sizes (10 x A4, 10 x A5 and 10 x A6), allowing you to laminate some of your pictures and documents right out of the box.
The operation is super intuitive: there is only a hot/off button and a ready indicator light. Just switch the unit on and wait till the green light appears (this model only takes 3 minutes to preheat). Then, insert the pouch into the appliance (the sealed edge first) and the rollers will move it through the machine. When the job is done, turn the unit off. If any paper jam occurs, press the ABS handle, remove the jammed bag from the unit and adjust the paper direction.
All Included
In addition to the laminator and pouches, you will get a paper cutter and a corner rounder that will allow you to cut off the extra film after laminating. Note that the minimum pouch size is 54 x 86 mm (credit card size) and the maximum lamination thickness is 0.5 mm. Thanks to the included accessories (the paper cutter has ergonomic measuring marks), laminating any papers in this range will be an easy task.
We would also like to add that the machine boasts a low-noise operation and it delivers super-smooth results. Lightweight and portable, it is an excellent choice for schools, homes and offices.
Summing up, the Nic pow laminator is an easy-to-use device that heats up very quickly and delivers high-quality laminating results. The unit comes with a set of accessories that will enable you to use it straight away and easily trim away any excess paper or plastic film.
| Last updated price | £29.99 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | B08SWBHZLF |
Do Your Best With the Texet Laminator
Supported by decades of experience, Texet is a true leader in office equipment. Their success is based upon the ability to provide people with what they really need offering only reasonable price and excellent quality. And Texet laminators are not an exception.
The Texet LMA4-V Laminator comes in a classic black design with a slightly curved body that makes carrying the device extremely easy. For more convenient operation, the model is equipped with a rocker switch that has On and Off positions. It’s located on the right side of the body below the light indicator that changes from red to green to let you know when it is ready for work. All in all, it's a user-friendly assistant for both home and occasional office use at a fantastic price.
For Those Who Go for Simplicity
As it was already mentioned, the Texet LMA4-V Laminator is so simple that everyone from a novice to a professional can use it. There is no need to select a temperature or speed as the device will do it for you and an indicator light will let you know when the unit is preheated fro work. Just choose the item for lamination as well as the right pouch and start the process.
The only gripe you might have is that there is no dedicated anti-jam option in this model. However, it's not much of a dealbreaker. In case jamming appears, simply wait until the device cools down and slide the lever at the back of the body to gently pull your document. That's it.
On the whole, the Texte LMA4-V is a great simple laminating unit fit both for home and occasional office needs. It is pretty fast and can handle both smaller and bigger sheet formats.
| Last updated price | £29.50 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | B003XJCFBW |
Great Choice for Home Use
Need a compact, affordable, and a breeze to use laminating unit for home projects? Chances are great that the Sola laminator from Fellowes will tick all the boxes on your list and deliver to all your expectations.
The model confidently stands out from the range for a smart combo of budget-friendly price and decent functionality providing everything a good home laminator should do. Hot lamination technology ensures professionally looking results from the start, no matter whether you are new to laminating or have some experience behind your back. Perfectly sealed inside a film pouch, all papers come out smooth and without wrinkles or bubbles on the surface. Capable of laminating items up to 125 microns thick, the Sola laminator will work for different types of paper and can even accept thinner carton that makes it a match for business cards lamination. Besides, despite heated lamination, the unit can be used for laminating photos, thanks to a lower heat technology applied here. Though not prone to jamming pouches, the Sola 95 has a special release lever that will help take out or realign a misfed document.
The laminator accepts papers and documents up to A4 format in size. With a 300mm/min laminating speed, it will take the unit no more than 30 seconds to produce an A4 sheet while smaller items will be ready almost immediately.
As functional as it is, the Fellowes Sola laminator is a snap to use. It needs no assembly and heats up fairly quickly, with a green light on the top signalising when it is ready for work. At the same time, it is very compact in size and won’t eat up much space on your work desk. More than that, you can even take it with you if necessary. The unit will easily fit into a backpack or any midsized handbag.
Energy-wise Unit
One more ace down the Fellowes Sola laminator’s sleeve is an auto shut-off function, which is not a typical feature for all laminators, especially those falling within a lower price range. The unit switches off automatically in 30 minutes of no-use. Thus, if you are engaged in some sort of project and laminate from time to time in the course of work, you don’t have to keep an eye on the laminator and constantly turn it off and on. Likewise, you don't need to be bothered to shut it down in the end. Not only does this feature prevent the unit from overheating but also it helps save on electricity consumption in the long run, keeping your energy bills adequate.
To wrap it up, the Fellowes Sola is a simple compact laminator suitable for laminating all sorts of kid’s artworks, crafts, documents, planners, and other common papers, which makes it ideal for home use.
Additional Info
| Last updated price | £20.99 |
| Stock | May be out of stock |
| ASIN | B0833DN8PF |
For Temperature-Sensitive Documents
Thermal laminating machines are quite popular, mainly because the materials used for hot laminating are cheaper than those required for cold laminating. On the other hand, some inks and colours can be damaged by the heat, so using a cold laminator is mandatory when it comes to temperature-sensitive documents.
If you are still hesitating about which type to choose, why not go for a machine that uses both methods, just like the Bonsaii L407-A? This powerful and functional device allows you to select the most suitable method for each task. Compatible with A4, A5 and A6 papers, it will help you to protect pictures, documents, menus, artworks, work permits without degrading colours. Moreover, this functional laminator can be used for foiling and other DIY projects.
What is also important, the Bonsaii laminator machine uses specially designed ABS levers to prevent paper jams and ensure a smooth operation. Just press the ABS safety switch and hold it to remove the document from the unit without damaging it. When used in the hot mode, the device only takes 3 minutes to warm up. The manufacturer claims that there will be no wrinkles or bubbles even if you run the machine for a long time.
Handy Control Dial
Functional as it is, the appliance is easy to operate. On its control panel, there is an ergonomic dial that allows you to switch between hot and cold laminating mode. Moreover, you will be able to preset the laminating thickness (80-125 microns) depending on your needs. There is also a power (red) and a ready (green) indicator light. As soon as the device preheats, the green light will appear. Note that some users admit that the grin light is somewhat dim, which makes it harder to spot it.
The Bonsaii L407-A works with most A4 laminating bags. Moreover, it comes with 3 normal pouches and 2 adhesive laminating pouches, so you will be able to try out the appliance as soon as the purchase arrives. You will also get comprehensive instructions on using the appliance and pouches.
In a word, this multifunctional Bonsaii L407-A machine designed for hot and cold laminating allows you to protect your valuable pictures and various documents. It can also be used for foiling and other DIY projects, as well as for making flashcards and other learning tools.
Additional Info
| Last updated price | $0.00 |
| Stock | May be out of stock |
| ASIN | B00Z9N9FP4 |
Laminate with Style
The Rexel Style 2104511 proves that functional laminators can be affordable. Boasting intuitive operation, this home and office device can be used for both hot and cold laminating. Designed for protecting ID to A4 sized documents, pictures and DIY projects, it will handle up to 125-micron thick pouches. The unit has a stylish white and black design and portable dimensions that will make it a welcome addition to any interior.
To activate the machine, you only need to plug it in and use its single switch to choose the desired setting. If you are using the cold lamination mode, the green light will appear straight away. If you are using the hot mode, it will only light up in 4 minutes, after the appliance preheats. Though the machine takes longer to warm up compared to its rivals, it offers good quality for the price, and it will easily handle a variety of laminating tasks.
Most laminator machines are equipped with some mechanisms that allow you to remove the pouch if jamming occurs, and this unit is not an exception. Need you to remove or realign the jammed pouch, it is easy to do thanks to a release lever located on the unit's rear. Thanks to this feature, you can rest assured that the document or picture is not damaged.
Cost-Effective and Functional
It is not a secret that for some temperature-sensitive documents, only cold lamination is recommended. For hot laminating, protective sleeves with heat-activated adhesive are used, however, in the cold mode, you will need to use special self-adhesive pouches that require no heat for laminating.
Whichever laminating film you use with the Rexel Style 2104511, make sure the pouch thickness does not exceed 125 microns. We should also mention that, though the unit's operation is pretty straightforward, some consumers admit that the user instructions could be more comprehensive.
To put it in a nutshell, if you are looking for a reasonably-priced laminating machine for home and office use, this stylish and functional unit is a fantastic choice. As basic as it may seem, the appliance allows you to choose between hot and cold laminating depending on the items you are going to laminate. Finally, this model has an appealing design that will blend with any home or office interior.
Additional Info
| Last updated price | £21.99 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | B07RFWBR59 |
What Is a Laminator?
What is a laminator? Pouch laminators are special laminating machines that are used for wrapping a paper or carton into a transparent, thin and somewhat flexible plastic layer. Usually, it’s done to save the paper from folding, tearing or to preserve the print on documents from the exposure to dirt or humidity. Lamination enhances the durability of a paper sheet and improves its look overall. Some laminators have industrial application, like wrapping a food container with a special coating. However, our attention in this review is drawn towards the pouch laminators for papers and photos that you might want to get for your office or house. The pouch itself is a two-layered transparent polymer film with special adhesive material on the inner sides. You put a paper tightly inside a pouch, then put this wrapping into a laminator. Finally, after running through the cylinder rollers, this pouch becomes fully sealed. That way you can laminate documents, posters, postcards, letters or even photos.
What Features to Compare
The first step before buying a laminator is to sort out what document sizes you will use it for. Maximum paper width is usually given in inches. Remember that A4 papers have a width of 8.3", A3– 11.7", and A2 – 16.5". Of course, you can use the A3 model for laminating A4 or smaller sizes.
The next thing to look for is a maximum pouch thickness. The standard operating range is from 3 up to 10 mil thick pouches. The thicker the pouch is, the sturdier and more durable the lamination will be. Please note, pouch laminators are designed for sealing paper-thick materials and might not cope with a stapled stack of papers or with a very thick piece of cardboard carton.
Don’t forget to take a look at laminating speed. This value represents how many standard A4 papers can be processed in a minute or in 10 minutes. On average, a laminator can seal around one A4 sheet per minute. It’s recommended to laminate only 10-20 sheets of paper at once on many models. Sometimes, even less than that. Of course, you can do a little more, but during the process, the rollers become so hot that they require being cooled down from time to time in order to not overheat and not melt the plastic body away.
If you or your boss always wants documents to be laminated asap, keep in mind that rollers also require some time to warm up. There are models that can get hot enough to start lamination after mere 30 seconds. Others may warm up longer, but process two or even three A4 sheets per minute. Try to find the balance between warm-up time and lamination speed before you make a final decision.
Some models can work as a cold laminator. In such a device, the pouch layers are sealed together with the rollers by a sheer force of pressure, that melt together adhesives on inner sides. This method is used mostly for photos or other temperature-sensitive materials, as the heat may bleach out the colourful prints. Still, heated lamination is overall more effective.
The last but not the least, take a look at the additional features that will make the process way more comfortable. No matter how much manufacturers try to disclaim it, in a long run, rollers always become dirty due to adhesive leftovers and dust. Therefore, a pouch may eventually become stuck in the laminator, just like a paper in a printer. Yet, there’s no need to call an IT guy each time when this happens. Most of the modern models have either a special button/lever to unjam the rollers, or a reverse option to drive the paperback. After that, you might want to clean the rollers or just try again. The auto shut-down option is a welcome addition, as daily office life can be very distractive. A temperature regulator may come in handy if you work with temperature-sensitive materials, such as thin paper, some types of carton or photos.
FAQ:
Q: What is ‘mil’?
A: It’s one more name of the pouch thickness that means one-thousandth of an inch.
Q: What is the proper way to feed a laminating pouch into the machine?
A: Always insert a pouch into a laminator sealed edge first. To line it up correctly follow the indicators on the front side of the machine.
Q: What is a carrier?
A: A carrier is a folded in half cardstock covered with silicon on one side and is used for placing a pouch before it is fed into the laminator. It is usually included in every set of pouches. In case you lose one, you can buy a new carrier from your supplier. The carrier prevents a pouch from scratching as well as excess adhesive and doesn’t let it wrap around the rollers while lamination. However, not all machines necessary require a carrier. As nowadays many manufacturers equip their laminators with silicon rollers that perform the same functions.
Q: How to avoid my documents from having air bubbles?
A: First of all, check the compatibility of the chosen pouch thickness and your laminator. Next, make sure that the laminator has completely warmed up. The green LED light will help you with that. And finally, look at whether your laminator works on the right setting for your pouch. Doing all that will guarantee you a nice and smooth final result.
Q: How many rollers should I choose?
A: The more rollers your laminator has the better quality your laminated items will be. Plus, if you have, for example, four rollers, your documents are far less likely to be jammed. Therefore, if you have enough money, pick a laminator with more rollers to get the best outcome. But if you are on a budget, there are plenty of decent two-roller laminators to satisfy your needs.
Q: Is there any difference between a laminating pouch and a laminating film?
A: They are eerily similar but still feature some differences between each other. A laminating pouch and a laminating film are made of a polyester and adhesive, but a pouch contains more polyester to adhesive than a film, which makes it stiffer. Therefore, it is more expensive than a film.
Q: What can I laminate?
A: You can laminate any kinds of paper with printings or drawings. It can be anything from menus, single month calendars, and posters to important documents and memorable photos. There is just one thing you need to decide on before buying a laminator and that is the size of the items you are going to seal. Knowing that you will be able to make a right choice and achieve the desired outcome.
Sources:
1. Pouch Laminator, Wikipedia. April 20, 2016.
2. How to Buy a Laminator, eBay. March 14, 2016.
3. DAV Principal warns against lamination of documents, The Pioneer. April 20, 2017.
4. Melissa Lewis Can You Laminate Two Times? hunker.
5. R. Sujatha Lamination of documents has risks too, The Hindu. May 13, 2016.