A woman who began online discourse by saying that her Purple mattress covered her in “glitter” inadvertently started a dialogue about mattress safety.
The videos come from creator @i_see_youot7, whose original TikTok attracted more than 262,000 views by Friday morning. In it, she asks why her Purple mattress covered her in “glitter.” She shows a video of her sleepwear, speckled with something shiny, to illustrate what happened.
One concerned commenter posted, “That’s fiberglass,” before adding, “Throw everything away that has touched it and you might want to go to the doctor.”
Another chimed in, with morbid humor, “Google says you have 3 days idk.”
That inspired her to create a follow-up video seeking answers. She posted, with a comical automated voice reading the on-screen caption text, “Oh my God, you guys. I’m scared. Why is everyone saying I have to go see a doctor?”
She adds, “I have seen the fiber glasses before, but not this way. This time, it was very bad because I was lifting the mattress and those glitters got all over me.”
Is there really fiberglass in a Purple mattress?
You might be wondering why there would be fiberglass in a mattress. The answer is in a song topic explored by Bruce Springsteen, Arthur Brown, the Pointer Sisters, and most triumphantly by Lizzy Mercier Descloux—fire.
“The internal structures of mattresses, like mattresses-in-a-box and hybrid mattresses, often include materials to promote heat diffusion, cushioning softness, and better support for the body,” said a 2007 USA Today story on the topic. “Mattresses also need to meet certain flame retardancy standards, ensuring they can resist and withstand sustained exposure to open flames.”
The article notes that fiberglass is found in furniture, rugs, and insulation materials. While it’s commonly used, it’s enough of a concern for some that entities like Eachnight showcase fiberglass-free mattresses, using silica or plant fibers that are similarly fire-resistant.
Purple itself maintains, via its site, that it uses “a new and approved flame-retardant protocol that does not utilize harmful, toxic chemicals or fiberglass material.” A second article on its site specifies “a special flame barrier fabric with unique non-toxic non-chemically treated fibers that naturally slow flames,” which earned it UL GreenGuard Certification.
Concerns about fiberglass in mattresses isn’t new: Witness a 2021 Reddit conversation in which people explored the topic at length.
The Daily Dot also visited this topic once before, quoting a blogger who claims to have communicated with Purple. That blogger contends the company rep said, “The fiberglass contained in our barrier is spun into the core of the yarn, which is then knit into the fabric.”
Purple did not confirm the claim despite being contacted, according to that story.
What commenters thought
Commenters offered their own observations on the matter.
“Hi! So you’re going to feel very itchy and then have a lot of pain!” said one with liberal use of exclamation points. “Hope this helps!”
“My family got very sick,” another claimed. “My girls were in the hospital from breathing it.”
“One time my little cousin ate fiberglass from the wall because he thought it was cotton candy and he started foaming from the mouth,” someone else shared.
While one tried to assure her that what was on her was not fiberglass and to feel calm, most commenters weighed in on the side of alarm.
One went as far as to say, “Time to get a new house.”
@i_see_youot7 I’ve had this @Purple mattress over 3 years 😭😭 #mattress #purplemattressreview ♬ All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok comment and to Purple via email.
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