Foam flooring carries quite a few properties that make it a popular choice for homeowners and businesses. The foam material is lightweight, meaning you can carry and use these tiles and rolls anywhere. Many interlock with each other, creating a sturdy type of floor that will not pull apart under stress. They’re offered in many different colors and surface textures, making it easy to match your needs to the right product. And foam is an economical choice for floors.

Three materials are primarily used in the construction of foam flooring mats: EVA, polyethylene, and polyurethane. A key part of the process of picking the right type of flooring for your situation is selecting a material that fits what you want to do.

EVA Flooring EVA, short for ethylene-vinyl acetate, features a closed-cell design that makes it firmer than open-cell foams. It has a softness and flexibility that will remind you of rubber, but it is much lighter weight, making it easy to install.

The shock absorbing qualities of EVA foam flooring create an ideal solution for athletic facilities, child care centers, a baby room, or a kids’ play area in a home basement. Because of its waterproof design, some people will even use it to create a floor in a boat. It is easy to clean and disinfect, so some gym owners will select it for workout areas, where it will repel sweat and spilled water.

PE Flooring PE, short for polyethylene, is an extremely durable type of foam. It’s offered in a closed-cell design that allows it to remain waterproof, while delivering the firmness you’ll want for gymnasiums or for sports like cheerleading, wrestling, and gymnastics.

Some people will use PE foam to cover concrete subfloors, as it works nicely to provide insulation for people who would otherwise be sitting, standing or laying on the cold cement.

It does not have a finished surface, so the PE pad could be gouged by sharp legged furniture or high heels. Often times, when used as flooring, PE materials will be wrapped in vinyl or topped with carpet to protect them from punctures.

PU Flooring PU, short for polyurethane, is a type of foam flooring that offers the maximum amount of cushion. Memory foam used in pillows is a type of PU foam.

When used in floors, PU absorbs impacts, but does not distribute the energy from a fall as effectively as closed cell foams, and then slowly returns back to its original shape. If you’re seeking a type of foam underlayment to provide a steady surface for running, PU foam is not a good choice, because people will sink into it.

PU foam is a common material used in a cheerleading or gymnastics studio, where athletes can practice landing jumps and flips safely. PU needs to be wrapped in vinyl or denim to protect it, as it will not stand up to regular foot traffic or sharp objects.

Foam tile configurations. One of the reasons people like the idea of installing foam tiles is because they are lightweight and can be cut to fit for a wall-to-wall installation.

Foam flooring tiles typically have a puzzle style edge, which greatly simplifies installation. You can pop the tiles together with very little force, yet they’ll stay together tightly, even when placed under the stress of constant foot traffic.

Because foam flooring is relatively thin and pliable, usually measuring less than 1 inch in thickness, you can cut the mats with a sharp utility knife to remove the puzzle edge when you want to create a straight edge. They’ll then fit easily against a wall.

Foam tile colors. Another reason foam is so popular as a flooring material is because of all of the different colors and surface designs you can select.

For a child’s room or a daycare facility, bright colors like green, pink, and blue are popular choices. As long as you select the same model and brand of tile, you can connect the puzzle edges of tiles of different colors to make a fun random pattern or to create a checkerboard pattern.

Another option is a wood laminate or carpet finish on top of the tile. This is a nice design to use in an area where you want to create a professional style finish in the flooring, but you don’t want the expense or maintenance hassles of a wood floor. The faux wood tile sometimes offers a reversible design, meaning you can select between a wood look or solid tan colored surface within a single tile.

Foam flooring buying guide. Foam flooring has a variety of potential use cases, which is another reason why it’s such a popular choice. Dance and workout studios choose foam for Jazzercise classes, yoga sessions, and as an underlayment for a Marley dance floor roll layout.

At home, a basement is a perfect location for a foam floor, as the material is waterproof, while also providing just the right amount of cushioning and insulation against the cold, hard cement.

Click any of the links in our buying guide to learn more about the best type of foam for a number of flooring usage options. The links lead to customer testimonials, usage ideas, informational video clips, and product reviews.