Contact cement is the best glue for EVA foam. It´s easy to use, exceptionally strong, and precise. Its near-instant bonding also enhances productivity. Hot glue is a good alternative, but it may lose some adhesive strength in hot environments. Superglue is suitable for small objects, while epoxy glue is only good for large decorations due to its longer curing time.
Here is a quick overview of the different types of glues that are suitable for gluing EVA foam:
- Contact Cement. Best Choice for gluing EVA Foam. Easy to use, very strong, and very accurate.
- Superglue. Superglue is suitable for attaching details to EVA foam. Not advisable for bonding EVA foam due to the inflexibility of superglue, which can result in a fragile connection prone to breakage.
- Hot Glue. A good option for gluing leather, felt, or fabric to EVA foam. Decent for gluing EVA Foam because it can lose adhesive strength in hot environments.
- Epoxy Glue (Two Compound Glue or Resin Adhesive). A good option for gluing leather, felt, or fabric to EVA Foam. Not recommended for gluing EVA foam due to the long curing times.
In the following, I will go over each type of glue, talk about its pros and cons, and I will show you how to use each one.
You can also find all of my EVA foam guides right here if you want to learn more.
Contact Cement
Contact cement is the best choice for gluing EVA foam. I strongly recommend using this glue for both bonding EVA foam and attaching details.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Strong | Not suitable for gluing parts with little contact area |
| Fast curing | |
| Accurate | |
| Good for gluing EVA foam together | |
| Glued parts can be removed again with some force and minimal damage | |
| Decent temperature resistance | |
| Flexible |
How to Use Contact Cement
Contact cement is very easy to use.
You will need:
- Contact cement (buy it here on Amazon)
- A brush or a scrap piece of EVA foam
1. Apply the Contact Cement to Both Parts
Apply some contact cement to both parts.
You can use a brush or a scrap piece of EVA foam to apply the glue.
Apply the glue in one thin layer. You don’t need a lot of contact cement to glue something. Just make sure to cover the whole contact area on both parts.
2. Let the Glue to Dry
Leave the glue to dry for about 1 minute.
The glue should be dry to the touch. The contact cement will become dull and no longer appear shiny once it´s dry.
3. Glue the Parts Together
Line the two parts up and press them together.
Both parts will adhere to each other instantly.
If you misaligned the parts or accidentally glued the wrong part then simply tear the parts apart.
Once you pulled the parts apart, you have to remove the glue residue on both parts before you can glue them again. This can be done by simply running your finger over the glue. The residue will simply come off.
Contact cement can sometimes leave quite ugly seams but they can be easily fixed. I have a guide on how to fix seams and gaps in EVA foam right here.
Superglue
Superglue is not recommended for gluing EVA foam because it lacks flexibility once it has cured. This becomes problematic, particularly when creating projects intended for body wear like cosplay armor. The material’s flexibility may cause the bonded connection to break since superglue cannot move with the flexing part.
Superglue can, however, be used to glue small and medium-sized details to EVA foam. It´s perfect for gluing fake rivets to EVA foam, for example.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Strong | Not flexible |
| Fast curing | Expensive |
| Accurate | |
| Good for gluing mall details to EVA foam |
How to Use Superglue
- Apply the superglue to one part.
- Align both parts and press them together.
- Wait for 1 – 2 seconds for the super glue to cure.
Hot Glue
Hot glue works well for adhering EVA foam and excels in attaching materials like leather, fur, fabric, or similar items to EVA foam. However, if your intention is to create cosplay items, I strongly advise against using hot glue for bonding EVA foam. The primary concern is that hot glue loses strength when exposed to heat. Consequently, your cosplay outfit could potentially fall apart when worn on a hot summer day.
Various types of hot glue sticks are available, and the outcomes can vary significantly based on your choice. Certain glue sticks melt at lower temperatures, while professional-grade ones may require higher temperatures that could potentially harm EVA foam or fabrics. However, these professional sticks tend to be more temperature-resistant and generally offer stronger adhesion.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Strong | Not very temperature-resistant |
| Fast curing | Can sometimes deform EVA foam when applied |
| Accurate | Can melt thin fabric |
| Good for gluing large details, leather, or fur to EVA foam |
How to Use Hot Glue
- Load the glue stick in your heat gun and let the gun heat up.
- Apply the hot glue to one part, once it is hot enough.
- Press both parts together and hold them for 3 to 5 seconds until the glue is cured.
- You can remove small glue strings with a hot air gun or a lighter. Just be careful that you don´t melt the hot glue when doing this.
Epoxy Glue
Epoxy glue is a type of glue that almost always comes in two components that need to be mixed before application. One is the epoxy glue and the other is a hardener.
Epoxy glue stands out as one of the most versatile and robust adhesives available. However, it is not advisable for EVA foam crafting due to its long curing time. While it can effectively bond decorations, leather, fur, or similar materials to EVA foam, there are more convenient and cheaper alternatives such as velcro, contact cement, or hot glue.
You can get epoxy glue as putty (Epoxy putty or green stuff), as two-component liquid glue, or in a syringe that mixes the two components as you squeeze the glue out.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very strong | Expensive |
| Good for gluing heavy decorations, leather, fur, or fabric to EVA foam | Takes a lot of time to cure |
| Very temperature resistant |
How to Use Epoxy Glue
- Mix the two components according to the instructions. The components are often colored differently to make it easier to see if the glue is mixed well.
- Apply the mixed glue to one part.
- Align both parts and press them together.
- Leave the pieces to dry for at least 12 hours until the glue is cured.
I primarily use contact cement for gluing EVA foam as it is simply the easiest, cheapest, and fastest way to glue EVA foam. And, realistically, it is the only type of glue that you need. For example, I built this lamp only using EVA foam as a glue.
What is the Best Glue for EVA Foam?
The best glue for EVA foam is contact cement because it is easy to use, strong, works on multiple materials, binds almost instantly, and pieces glued with contact cement can be removed easily with some force. Contact cement is also quite heat-resistant which makes it a better choice than hot glue for most projects.
Disclaimer: This article has been written with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its readability and grammatical accuracy. The content and information presented in this article are entirely original and originated from the author. The AI was used solely to rewrite certain sections of the article for the purpose of improving clarity and coherence, without altering the substance or meaning of the content.
