What's the difference....

Ladyl · Jul 7, 2011

Between EPS and EPP foam? Just curious

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Lea_Ontario · Jul 7, 2011

I don't know how accurate this is, but here's a quick breakdown from http://www.carseatsite.com/FAQ.htm

What is EPS foam? What is EPP foam?

EPS foam, Expanded Polystyrene foam, is the foam used in bicycle helmets and picnic coolers. It is a safety device added to some car seats to protect a child's head and upper torso from impact forces by absorbing those forces. It crushes, has almost no rebound to it and is considered to be a one-impact material (Have you ever put too much ice into a styrofoam picnic cooler or broken a piece of packing styrofoam? It breaks very easily.). EPS foam is what is most commonly used in child safety seats. EPP foam, Expanded Polypropylene foam, is similar to EPS foam, but has a more elastic nature. Many manufacturers are moving toward using EPP foam in their car seats because of the resiliency of EPP foam; it doesn't break as easily in day-to-day usage and tends to hold up better for consumers.

Pixels · Jul 7, 2011

In addition to the info Kashi provided, EPS foam is almost always white, and EPP is almost always black. EPP does have elasticity, so if it gets squished, it bounces back.