Neoprene is sold either as solid rubber or in latex form and is used in a wide variety of commercial applications, such as laptop sleeves, orthopaedic braces (wrist, knee, etc.

[5] DuPont first marketed the compound in 1931 under the trade name DuPrene,[6] but its commercial possibilities were limited by the original manufacturing process, which left the product with a foul odor.

[7] A new process was developed, which eliminated the odor-causing byproducts and halved production costs, and the company began selling the material to manufacturers of finished end-products.

[7] To prevent shoddy manufacturers from harming the product's reputation, the trademark DuPrene was restricted to apply only to the material sold by DuPont.

[11] The response of neoprene to thermal aging depends not just on the highest temperature it is exposed to, but also on the exact temperature-time profile; this is a result of the competing factors of scission of the main polymer chain and oxidative cross-linking.

[1] It can be used as a base for adhesives, noise isolation in power transformer installations, and as padding in external metal cases to protect the contents while allowing a snug fit.

It resists burning better than exclusively hydrocarbon based rubbers,[20] resulting in its appearance in weather stripping for fire doors and in combat related attire such as gloves and face masks.

[21] In its native state, neoprene is a very pliable rubber-like material with insulating properties similar to rubber or other solid plastics.

A recent advance in neoprene for wet suits is the "super-flex" variety, which uses spandex in the knit liner fabric for greater flexibility and stretch.

[citation needed] Recently, neoprene has become a favorite material for lifestyle and other home accessories including laptop sleeves, tablet holders, remote controls, mouse pads, and cycling chamois.

[28] Hydroponic and aerated gardening systems make use of small neoprene inserts to hold plants in place while propagating cuttings or using net cups.

[citation needed] During the COVID-19 global pandemic, neoprene was identified by some health experts as an effective material to use for home made face masks.

In tabletop wargames, neoprene mats printed with grassy, sandy, icy, or other natural features have become popular gaming surfaces.