EVA foam is rising in popularity within the crafting community because of its ease of use and great comfort. It is used a lot for cosplay and children’s costumes, crafting, and DIY projects.
While the foam itself is easy to shape and work with, you might be wondering how to bond the EVA foam parts together. There are so many different suggestions online and a wide variety of adhesives that claim to be the best glue for EVA foam.
The obvious question is which one should you choose. To help you get an answer to that question, we compiled a list of the top 4 best glue for EVA foam. Along with the list, we included a guide where you can learn more about adhesives and how we choose them.
Last update on 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Best Glue For EVA Foam – Reviews
We started our search for the best adhesive for EVA foam with more than 20 potential models. Only 4 met our strict criteria, and those 5 are the best you will find. They work great with EVA foam and will create durable and resistant bonds. You can’t go wrong with any of them.
Our Pick
Barge All Purpose Cement
Volume: 32 fl. oz.
Setting Time: 5 Minutes
Viscosity: High
The majority of the cosplay community agrees that contact cement adhesives are generally the best adhesives for EVA foam. Most of the experienced cosplay costume crafters actually recommend and use this particular professional-grade Barge cement for bonding EVA foam.
One of the things that make this contact cement stand out from others is the swift drying time. The quick setting time makes you finish your project faster and is great if you’re impatient when bonding EVA foam.
The manufacturer recommends waiting 5 minutes for the adhesive to set before moving on, but many people reported that they experienced a much faster setting time on EVA foam. They said that the parts were inseparable after just a minute but only when the adhesive was applied in thin coats, which is the recommended type of application for EVA foam.
The lighting fast drying time doesn’t sacrifice the strength since this adhesive is by far the strongest on our list. It is flexible and has massive structural strength, which makes the bonds on EVA foam both durable and resistant to pressure from all directions. This glue ensures that the bonds on your costumes or crafts last a long, long time.
You don’t have to worry about the application of this glue. It’s a breeze to use it. You get an applicator with the glue that is excellent for the controlled and accurate spreading of the adhesive. The high viscosity of the cement ensures that no dripping and spilling occurs, which further makes using this glue effortless.
The excellent water-resisting properties of this contact cement make it great for outdoor use as well. If you’re using EVA foam for outdoor applications, this adhesive will withstand rain with ease.
The only thing that draws people away from going for this contact cement is the price. Barge contact cement isn’t the most affordable one but provides unmatched performance on EVA foam that no other adhesive offers.
Some cheaper alternatives do the job well, but the higher price tag on this cement is definitely justified. If you want the best adhesion and the most resistant and durable bond, go for this glue, and you will know where that extra money went.
Bob Smith Ind. Insta-Cure
Drying Color: Clear
Setting Time: 15 seconds
Viscosity: Medium
While contact cement is the go-to glue for EVA Foam projects, cyanoacrylate adhesive or super glue works great as well, depending on the size of your project. This Bob Smith Industries super glue is by far the best performing super glue for EVA foam. It provides quick and durable results.
The strength of this super glue is up to 3 times higher when compared to standard $1 super glue. It is used for modeling and has increased tensile strength, which makes the bond much stronger.
While most super glue models don’t work that well on EVA foam, this one does. Mainly because of the added flexibility. Super glue adhesives are usually not flexible enough and become brittle after they dry. This is not the case with this glue because of the special formulation and additives that make it flexible and work wonderfully on EVA foam.
The incredibly fast drying time is another reason people use this glue for their EVA foam projects. It sets in just 15 seconds, making it the fastest setting adhesive on our list. It will make you finish your EVA foam projects as much as 5 times quicker than with other glue models.
The problem we had with most super glue models is that they were not viscous enough to provide easy application. They would drip, run, and ended up making a mess out of our EVA foam project. This doesn’t happen with this glue, as it has additives that make it much thicker.
When compared to the Barge cement, this glue isn’t quite as strong. We recommend using it for small to medium-sized projects where you don’t need that much strength. It’s definitely a great alternative to the more expensive cement if your project doesn’t require superior strength.
Weldwood Original Contact Cement
Size: 16 fl. oz.
Setting Time: 5 To 20 Minutes
Viscosity: High
This model from Dap is a great EVA foam adhesive alternative to the more expensive Barge cement. It provides similar performance but is more affordable.
The Weldwood Original Contact Cement has all the features and properties you would want an EVA foam cement to have. The first one we would like to point out is the strength of this adhesive.
It’s sufficient for bonding EVA foam with ease, no matter how big the project might be. It is highly flexible and won’t become brittle after time, making your bond secure and durable. It’s very close in terms of bond strength to the Barge cement.
Drying time is a bit of a drawback of this glue. It can take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes to set on EVA foam, which means you’ll have to have a bit of patience while working with it. If you apply thin coats of the adhesive, you can reduce the drying time to as low as 3 minutes but still not close the 1 minute of the Barge cement or 15 seconds of the Bob Smith Ind. Insta-Cure.
One of the things that set this glue apart from the rest is the excellent environmental resistance. It can withstand extreme low and high temperatures with ease while being waterproof. You can make your costumes or crafts washing machine and dryer safe when bonding them with this adhesive.
We like the viscosity of the cement because it makes it easy to spread. The only problem in terms of application is that we found that there was no applicator. You will have to use your own applicator for spreading this adhesive, so keep that in mind.
All in all, this is a great contact cement that works excellently with EVA foam. It doesn’t match the Barge cement in terms of performance but is quite a bit more affordable, so if you don’t want to spend a fortune but still get a solid cement, go for this one.
Loctite Gel Super Glue
Drying Color: Clear
Setting Time: 30 seconds
Viscosity: Medium
The last glue on our list of the best glue for EVA foam is the legendary Loctite super glue gel. It’s a super glue classic that has been used by millions of people worldwide for its extra strength, versatility, and quick drying time. It didn’t surprise us that it worked really well on EVA foam as well.
The formulation of this glue is not the same as with standard Loctite and other super glue models. This model is made with controlled application and flexibility in mind, which helps with bonding EVA foam tremendously.
Certain additives are added to this glue that makes it much higher in viscosity and much more flexible than standard super glue. The added flexibility offers much more durable bonds on EVA foam and resists the brittleness of the bond that usually occurs when super glue is used for this application.
You can be sure that the bonds of your EVA foam project will be resistant, durable, and flexible.
The consistency of this glue is more syrup-like as opposed to the watery viscosity of the standard super glue models. This viscosity coupled with the side squeeze design of the bottle provides you with a controlled application that saves you glue and doesn’t make a mess. The adhesive goes where you want it to go and stays where you want it to stay.
Consider using this glue if you are looking for a super quick setting time. This glue dries in just 30 seconds, making you wait a lot less than with other adhesives.
As with the Bob Smith Ind. super glue model we reviewed, this glue is best suited to small to medium strength EVA foam projects where you don’t require maximum strength and resistance.
Glue For EVA Foam – Guide
Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) is very popular today and is mostly used in footwear, sports, and fishing equipment. It is also produced as a foam, which is what we are writing about today in this article.
The foam is mostly used and became popular for crafting and costume applications since it’s lightweight and easy to work with. Because of its unique properties, only certain adhesives can work with it.
We will now go through the adhesives that are compatible with EVA foam and that work with it well.
Type Of Adhesive
Two adhesives that, in our experience, work best with EVA foam are contact cement and cyanoacrylate glue.
Contact Cement
Contact cement is undoubtedly the best adhesive for EVA foam. It’s used by all serious EVA foam costume designers and provides the strongest and the most durable bonds.
The main property that allows contact cement to works as well it does for EVA foam is the flexibility. Because this glue is flexible, it won’t get brittle over time and can withstand large amounts of pressure from all directions.
- DAP weld wood original contact cement premium quality, neoprene-based contact cement that meets the stringent requirements of the professional user
Last update on 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Excellent water and heat resistance make this glue work in all environments. It is excellent for both indoors and outdoors EVA foam projects and is washing machine-safe.
It dries anywhere from 60 seconds to 20 minutes, depending on the model. The best models are usually set quicker.
Cyanoacrylate Adhesives
Super glue, unsurprisingly, works pretty well with EVA foam. It is one of the most versatile adhesives on the market and by far the quickest drying.
Some people like to go for super glue for their EVA foam projects because of the affordability and super quick set time. Super glue can set on EVA foam in as low as 10 seconds, making your projects much faster.
The problem standard super glue has with bonding EVA foam is the lack of flexibility and shear strength. This makes the bond solid but not durable as it can’t withstand pressure from all directions.
Certain super glue models found a solution for this problem by adding certain additives to make the adhesive more flexible. Those are the ones that work on EVA foam and make long-lasting bonds.
These types of super glues are also more viscous, allowing easier application with no drippage. Loctite made a super glue gel that is the thickest one we tried.
While those super glue models work well with EVA foam, we recommend using them only for low to medium-strength projects because of the lack of structural strength. For the maximum strength projects, always use contact cement.
- Size: 32 fl. oz.
- Setting Time: 1-5 Minutes
- Viscosity: High
Last update on 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gorilla Glue good for EVA foam?
Polyurethane Gorilla Glue works and will bond EVA foam, but there are a lot of better options out there. Gorilla glue expands and can make a mess out of your EVA foam project. Therefore we recommend going for contact cement instead as it works the best.
Does PVA glue work on EVA foam?
Yes, it will work. PVA glue remains flexible when dry and will likely create a durable but not-so-strong bond on EVA foam. We recommend going for a stronger adhesive such as super glue or contact cement for the strongest bond on EVA foam.
Wrap Up
That about wraps it up for all you need to know about glue for EVA foam.
Most of the adhesives will bond the foam, but none are as durable as contact cement and super glue. Make sure to go with strong and flexible models to ensure the best adhesion.
All of the models we recommended are excellent options, and you can’t go wrong with any of them!
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