I tried self-lamination sheets and honestly they sucked butt. The lanyard clips tore through two badges of lamination within the first half-hour of my meet. It was not an option I would feel happy giving to customers. I did not yank on them or anything, they just got jostled the wrong way and tore. It'd work for something like a full-sized piece of paper, but not for badges.

So, I need to invest in an actual laminator. Any suggestions of which type to get? I don't even know where to start.