Best Glue For Styrofoam: Top 5 Products And Buying Guide

“What is the best glue for styrofoam?”, if you’re looking for the answer to this question, you’ve landed at the right place!

There are hundreds of glues that you may haven’t known all about them. Certainly, each is designed to deal with and complete dissimilar tasks with different materials. That’s why we shouldn’t misuse them to avoid creating a mess or destroy your tools and materials.

In this article, we will reveal to you the top glues for a special material – styrofoam. Among many items on the market now, we picked out the 5 best overall for your using purposes. If you’re ready, let’s start! 

Best Glue For Styrofoam Review

The following are the best choices based on our experience. Certainly, we’ve written down some criteria to deliberate on them:

  • Grip and drying time
  • Consistency
  • Shelf-life
  • Storage

Aleene’s All-purpose Tacky Glue 15599 – Best Overall

CS-4300 Mirror Adhesive
Buy on Amazon

Score

  • Grip and drying time: 8/10
  • Consistency: 9.5/10
  • Shelf-life: 9/10 
  • Storage: 9/10

We appreciate Aleene’s All-purpose Tacky Glue 15599 as the best super glue overall. Based on the criteria above, we found that this item has an outstanding quality, compatible with many materials, and brings marked results.

You can utilize this flexible adhesive for a wide variety of materials such as wood, ceramic, glass, paper, plastic, metal. As containing non-toxic ingredients with the main is epoxy resin only, it’s usable even to the super-thin surface like paper, and you can rest assured when using.

Not only for home-use purposes, but it’s also an ideal choice for industrial projects. With a high grip, it will hold and fix things even when under outdoor weather conditions. 

After applying, you may have to wait for the bond to dry. It’s not a fast-drying one like spray glues, and you may have to wait a maximum of 1 hour. 

Besides, water-based glue is safe to use in a closed room as it’s odorless, which is a big plus point compared to other solvent-based glue. To use this, you just need to cut the tip at its ridges from the top to the base, depending on the amount of bond you want to take.

Problem With This Product

However, one disadvantage we think the manufacturer should improve is its thick texture. When you want to create smooth surfaces, you’ll have to make more effort to thin and even out the adhesive layer. Taking the white glue out will also be slightly difficult when you nearly use it up. 

Advice From Experts And Users

A small tip for you when the bottle is nearly empty is to cut it out; you can extract whatever is left in it much more conveniently. In addition, you want to pay attention to your work when waiting for it to dry to reduce the risk of deflecting the surface.

Mod Podge Waterbase Sealer CS11303 – Best For Styrofoam To Fabric Glue

CS-4300 Mirror Adhesive
Buy on Amazon

Score

  • Grip and drying time: 9/10
  • Consistency: 9/10
  • Shelf-life: 8/10 
  • Storage: 8/10

If what you need is a product that can create perfect glue bonds between styrofoam surfaces and fabric, Mod Podge Waterbase Sealer CS11303 is a perfect glue for them. 

Which material can you use this glue with? Apart from fabric and foam, it’s also the best glue for styrofoam for wood, plastic, and paper. And there is no need to worry about the ingredients as they’re all non-toxic (water and polyvinyl acetate), which won’t negatively affect your health.

We’ve tried this water-based product with our pictures for the first time. The white school glue surprised us with its ability to immobilize the fabrics while didn’t corrode or create any deformed piece.

Moreover, the outdoor environment can’t reduce its effectiveness. Our wood table is still sturdy and solid after more than 6 months applied with this item.

Non-odor and quick-grip in 20 minutes are the two features that further satisfy many users. Now you can spend your free time doing craft projects with your children without any fears. You have to choose a tool, apply it to the porous surfaces, a foam board, or any others, then wait for grip.

Problem With This Product

Its bottle design isn’t appreciated. Even though it will protect the unused adhesive better, it’s cumbersome to take this styrofoam and wood glue. 

You’ll have to prepare a sponge or a brush to apply it evenly to have smooth surfaces. Remember to prevent dust or material residue from falling into the bottle when using as it can spoil the glue inside.

Advice From Experts And Users

It’s advisable to take out a small amount of this school project glue each time use, and after use up, you can take more. This method keeps the bond from being spoiled by dust or anything you can drop into. 

Besides, if you take out too much and don’t use it up, it’s a waste. Obviously, the foam adhesive will dry when exposed out to the air.

Tombow MONO Multi Liquid Glue 62191 – Best Dual Tips Glue For Handcrafted Projects

Tombow MONO Multi Liquid Glue 62191
Buy on Amazon

Score

  • Grip and drying time: 9.5/10
  • Consistency: 8.5/10
  • Shelf-life: 8/10 
  • Storage: 8.5/10

Do you want to find a product that is safe for all your family members? Tombow MONO Multi Liquid Glue 62191 is the one we want to introduce for handcraft projects at home.

All the school projects, gift wrapping, card making, etc., can be done well as it’s compatible with foam, photos, and paper. We ensure it’s benign to users as the main ingredients are polyvinyl alcohol, synthetic resin, and water which are odor-free, and non-toxic.

Non-toxic ingredients don’t mean it has poor adhesive performance. This special glue creates an extremely strong bond between details. Especially after it has dried, it isn’t easy to separate them. 

You don’t need to worry about whether it leaves the surface tacky for a long time as it only takes 30 seconds to 1 minute to dry. Compared to other items on this list, call it super-fast grip time.

The most special feature that makes this item worth more attention is its dual tips design. A pen tip is useful for small details and embellishments such as sequins or rhinestones. At the same time, a broad tip is utilized to cover the large surfaces.

Problem With This Product

The limit in the compatible surface texture is undoubtedly the biggest drawback of this item. It’s usable for foam and paper in such a small art project only. 

If you apply it coating to heavy-duty ones such as wood or metal, the adhesive effectiveness won’t be good as expected. With a relatively small size of 0.88 ounces, you will have to buy more for large works.

Advice From Experts And Users

We highly recommend this white craft glue for home use as it’s safe for skin and health, even for your children. Clips after use to keep the tips away from being dried. Last but not least, pay attention to your children during the process to ensure their safety.

Weldbond Multi-Purpose Adhesive Glue 8-50420 – Best Glue For Styrofoam To Metal

Weldbond Multi-Purpose Adhesive Glue 8-50420
Buy on Amazon

Score

  • Grip and drying time: 8/10
  • Consistency: 9/10
  • Shelf-life: 8.5/10 
  • Storage: 8.5/10

For those who will carry out heavy-duty projects with materials such as metal, we highly recommend Weldbond Multi-Purpose Adhesive Glue 8-50420. The high adhesive level will stabilize and fix your details.

You can use this type of product to bond styrofoam to styrofoam or some building materials. They are brick, ceramic, tile, or even stone except for metal. 

For some thinner materials such as plastic and fabric, you shouldn’t choose this glue. It can cause corrosion because of the strong effect even the main ingredients is acid-free with water and polyvinyl acetate.

No matter if you want to do the projects at home or industrial works on a large scale, this special adhesive will meet your needs. With up to 14.2 ounces, you can buy once and keep it for a long time use or share it with your friends and co-workers.

To use this, you want to clean the styrofoam surface to remove all the dust and residues at first. After that, apply a thin coat and spread it evenly to receive the smooth surface as expected. You can lightly clamp the part together if needed.

Problem With This Product

It would be better if the drying process is faster. After about 1 hour, the bond will set, but it needs up to 24 hours to completely solidify. So if your projects are carried out outdoors, pay attention to shielding or covering them, especially in foggy or rainy weather. 

Advice From Experts And Users

Based on our experience, it’s a bit hard to apply the white glue with small details or areas. For example, if you need to apply this contact adhesive to a styrofoam piece, remember to take a brush or sponge to receive smoother and flatter results.

UHU POR Styrofoam Adhesive 45900 – Best For Small Details

UHU POR Styrofoam Adhesive 45900
Buy on Amazon

Score

  • Grip and drying time: 9/10
  • Consistency: 9/10
  • Shelf-life: 8.5/10 
  • Storage: 8.5/10

Some products are manufactured with large tips that give too much glue each time; that’s why UHU POR Styrofoam Adhesive 45900 is a great choice for small details and projects.

We call this glue the best glue for styrofoam to plastic and the best glue for styrofoam to glass as it creates wonderful results with these materials. With a transparent color and a toxic-free polyvinyl acetate, you’ll receive smooth and uniform surfaces while it’s totally harmless to your health.

The styrofoam glue without solvent won’t smell when you take it out. This makes it suitable for doing a project in both closed rooms and outdoors without harming yourself or bothering other family members.

You may need to wait for only 20 minutes until it grips completely. It isn’t too long, and you can get your project done without any effort to cover or protect it overnight, like using up-to-24 hour drying-time items.

Problem With This Product

Due to the transparent color, you have to pay more attention when using it. Keep in mind to wash your hands carefully after use and avoid getting the adhesive into the eyes, nose, or mouth to ensure safety.

Also, for this reason, some users find it hard to determine the position they have applied glue in a long distance. You can mark the position by pen for easier processing.

Advice From Experts And Users

Its small tip is wonderful for small details but is more cumbersome if you carry out a large construction project. A brush can be your savior to finish your work quickly, and you only need to take the foam glue out and spread fastly and evenly with this tool. 

Buying Guide

There is the fact that not all kinds of glue are quality and meet your needs. You can carefully consider some factors below combined with your purposes to find out the best types of adhesive for yourself.

Grip Time And Drying Time

Many people think that grip time and drying time are the same, but it’s not the fact.

  • Grip time (From 10 minutes to 1 hour): Time you have to wait for the glue to set. It will temporarily fix and hold the parts together. You still can move them around slightly and adjust to make sure they will be in the right position.
  • Drying time (From 1 hour to 24 hours): It’s time for you to wait for the adhesive to fully solid and create a stronger bond. After that, all parts are immovable.

Type 

Some types of glue you can deliberate on to find the most suitable:

  • Gel glue: It’s suitable for small surfaces and details as it’s thick and won’t spill. 
  • Spray adhesive: You can cover the large surfaces with spray glue to cover large areas with a short drying time.
  • Glue powder: This type of glue will cost you less than others, but you need to dilute it before using it.
  • Glue gun: The hot glue gun and the low-temperature glue gun are really popular. People prefer to use this type of adhesive for handcraft and handmade projects. To use this one, you have to prepare cold and hot glue sticks depending on the one you choose.

Consistency

It will be dependent on the surface areas you will do with. Thick glue is more suitable for many craft applications, such as small styrofoam pieces, and it won’t spill to other areas. On the other hand, thinner glue is easy to spread evenly on large surfaces.

Shelf-life

Shelf-life shows you how long it will perform well. For example, some can last for nearly a year while some will be solid soon after, from 2 weeks to 1 month.

If you’re a dedicated handcrafter that needs one or more bottles of glue each month, shelf-life doesn’t matter. But when you use it once or twice a year, consider this carefully before making a final decision.

Storage

Storage is a factor that significantly affects the shelf-life of adhesive. Such as you need to close the lid and cap closely after use or some products need to be kept in the fridge. Read the information carefully from the manufacturer to make sure you’re able to preserve them well.

Conclusion 

Overall, we’ve provided you with all the necessary information about the best glue for styrofoam. Expectantly, our top best with different features will give you more helpful references and meet your needs.

We highly recommend Aleene’s All-purpose Tacky Glue 15599 for all users. As mentioned above, this product is compatible with different materials, quality results, and safe for your health.

Finally, don’t forget to check the factors below before give your final adhesive selection:

  • Grip and drying time,
  • Type,
  • Consistency,
  • Shelf-life,
  • Storage.

Related reviews:

6 Best Wood Glue Reviews And Buying Guide

Leave a Comment