Typical crash pad materials include paper, plastic, and aluminum – most often arranged in a honeycomb structure. This design is highly effective because its dense array of hollow hexagonal cells deforms progressively under load, converting kinetic energy into a controlled structural collapse that minimizes impact on the payload. These lightweight, high-strength structures also offer exceptional out-of-plane compression strength and shear resistance, making them a preferred choice in aerospace applications such as aircraft and rocket components. Recent innovations – including graded, hierarchical, and sandwich-panel configurations – further enhance energy absorption by optimizing how the structure crushes and deforms under impact. Most honeycomb crash pads are single-use, as they do not recover after absorbing energy.

For lighter loads, specialized foams are also used. Some foam types allow limited reuse depending on their composition and resilience, offering flexibility in applications where repeated use is advantageous.