Best Binding Machine UK 2026 — Comb Binders from £55 to £250
Comb binding is still the cheapest way to turn a stack of A4 into something that looks finished: reports, dissertations, training manuals, tenders. The machine punches 21 holes down the edge, you open a plastic comb, hook the pages on, close it. Done.
The decision is purely about volume — how many sheets you punch at once, and how thick a document you bind. Six current machines, ranked.
At a glance — the shortlist
| # | Model | Best for | Capacity | Price band | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fellowes Starlet 2+ Comb Binder | Best for home and occasional use | Punches 12, binds 120 sheets | £59.99 | Amazon |
| 2 | GBC CB12 Comb Binding Machine | Best new entry model — binds thicker | Punches 12, binds 165 sheets | £76.41 | Amazon |
| 3 | Fellowes Star+ 150 Comb Binder | Best for a small office — vertical loading | Punches 15, binds 150 sheets | £91.78 | Amazon |
| 4 | Fellowes Pulsar+ 300 Comb Binder | Best mid-volume office binder | Punches 20, binds 300 sheets | £187.49 | Amazon |
| 5 | Fellowes Quasar+ 500 Comb Binder | Best heavy-duty comb binder | Punches 25, binds 500 sheets | £227.73 | Amazon |
| 6 | 21-Hole Comb Binding Machine (450 sheet, starter kit) | Best value unbranded | Punches 12, binds 450 sheets | £57.24 | Amazon |
Fellowes · Punches 12, binds 120 sheets
Best for home and occasional use
The Starlet 2+ has been the go-to entry binder for years: punches 12 sheets at a time, binds up to 120 pages with a 16 mm comb, and comes with a starter pack of combs and covers. It's around £60 and it's the right machine for a student, a home office or a club that binds a document a month. Punching a 100-page report takes nine pulls of the handle — fine occasionally, tedious weekly.
GBC · Punches 12, binds 165 sheets
Best new entry model — binds thicker
GBC's 2026 CB12 punches the same 12 sheets as the Starlet but binds up to 165 sheets and handles A5 as well as A4, for about £70. Few reviews yet because it's new, but GBC and Fellowes are the same company (ACCO) and the build is on a par. Buy this over the Starlet if your documents run past 120 pages.
Fellowes · Punches 15, binds 150 sheets
Best for a small office — vertical loading
The Star+ 150's trick is a vertical document loader: pages drop in edge-down so the punched holes line up perfectly without you squaring the stack. It punches 15 sheets, binds 150, and has a comb storage tray. Around £92. If binding is a monthly rather than yearly task, this is where the extra money starts to pay back.
Fellowes · Punches 20, binds 300 sheets
Best mid-volume office binder
Twenty sheets per punch and a 300-sheet bind capacity means a 200-page manual is ten pulls, not seventeen. Vertical loading, edge guide, storage tray — it's the Star+ scaled up for an office that binds every week. £187.
Fellowes · Punches 25, binds 500 sheets
Best heavy-duty comb binder
Twenty-five sheets a punch, 500-sheet bind capacity, a built-in comb-size measure, and a duty cycle designed for daily use. The Quasar+ is for training departments, print rooms and anyone producing thick tenders. £228 — and it will outlast three cheaper machines.
Generic · Punches 12, binds 450 sheets
Best value unbranded
Over 3,000 reviews at 4.2★ for an unbranded 21-hole machine that punches 12 and binds up to 450 sheets, with 100 combs and covers in the box for under £60. The compromise is punch alignment — reviews mention holes drifting on thick stacks — so square your pages carefully. For the money, hard to argue with.
How to choose
Punch capacity is the number that determines how tedious binding is. 12 sheets = 9 pulls for a 100-page document; 25 sheets = 4. If you bind weekly, pay for punch capacity.
Bind capacity is the thickest document the machine can close a comb around — 120 sheets needs a 16 mm comb, 300 sheets a 38 mm comb, 500 sheets a 51 mm comb. Check the machine supports the comb size you'll need.
Comb vs wire vs thermal: Comb (plastic, 21-hole) is cheapest and lets you add or remove pages later. Wire binding looks more professional but is permanent and the machines cost more. Thermal binding glues the spine — neat, but no editing and the covers are pricey. For most UK small offices, comb.
Consumables: Combs cost 5–20p each depending on size; clear front covers and card backs about 10p a set. Buy them in 100s.