What is the Powder on the Purple® Mattress

The Purple mattress powder is a food contact grade material that is lightly coated on The Purple Grid to prevent the Purple Grid from sticking.

When Purple mattresses were first created The Purple Grid was sticking to itself causing an uncomfortable slab of discomfort. After many hours of testing our scientists created the purple powder to prevent The Purple Grid from sticking to itself. The purple powder is lightly coated on The Purple Grid and is a harmless material found in common everyday products.

Here are the details about the inert non-toxic plastic powder that we invented to solve our packaging conundrum.

1. It is NOT a talc powder. Talc is a mineral and our plastic powder contains no talc whatsoever, or any mineral for that matter.

2. It is chemically inactive, AKA an inert substance.

3. It is a food-contact-grade material, meaning that this family of plastic materials can be used for eating utensils, children’s toys, etc.

4. It is 100% non-toxic and is completely harmless.

5. You can think of it being as safe as eating with a plastic fork, so you can rest easy on our bed! In fact, it may be even safer—no Purple product ever stabbed anyone in the lip!

But know that it is a very common type of plastic used in many human-touch products, even in products for children.

The Purple Grid is what makes Purple® products the most comfortable on the market. Invented over 20 years ago by two of the greatest minds in comfort science history—Purple’s founders—this technology is incredibly durable, insanely stretchy, and more responsive to your body’s shape than the unitard your best friend wore in her 80s yearbook photo.

A Sticky Situation

In all of the Hyper-Elastic Polymer™’s sciencey comfort and support, there’s always been one relatively trivial hitch—it’s tacky. Not tacky like sandals with socks, or skimping on the tip at a restaurant…but tacky like it likes itself way too much. When tightly compressed for several days, the polymer sticks to itself, especially fresh off the press.

Through the decades, Hyper-Elastic Polymer™ has been used for an expansive range of products—from specialty medical products to sporting goods to children’s toys, and so much in between. The tackiness has, for the most part, been a non-issue; the products in which it was used weren’t tightly packed or compressed for long periods of time.

But Purple is a bit different. It’s the first time, a mattress with the Hyper-Elastic Polymer™ The Grid™ has been sold online, and shipped straight to the customer’s door. Shipping the mattress requires a smaller package than the mattress itself, and some seriously impressive machinery to get it in there.

Enter Purple’s perfectly purple packaged parcel…

The founders of Purple knew the tacky nature of the Purple’s polymer could present an issue when shipping, so they dove head-first into testing mode. The first roll tests with nothing coating the grid proved problematic; after a few days of being rolled, the grid had completely pancaked, making for a solid slab of discomfort.

After testing the grid with a variety of materials and methodologies, rolling and unrolling several mattress prototypes creating new methods of their own—all with varying levels of success—they emerged victorious with a unique, safe, and effective solution.

The Simple Solution

The The Purple Grid™ of every Purple® Mattress and Pillow is lightly coated with a non-toxic polyethylene copolymer powder. It’s a common material found in numerous everyday products, such as baby sunscreen and powder makeup. The form of the polyethylene copolymer, along with how it’s applied to the mattress, effectively keeps the Hyper-Elastic Polymer™ from sticking to itself during shipping, so you get a perfect bed, ready to sleep on the moment you take it out of the package.

Is the Purple Powder Safe?

In short: yes.

Purple exists to help people feel better—so naturally, concern for the health, safety, and peace of mind of the customer is in the foundation of every product and process created. You’ll be happy to know that the polyethylene copolymer has been thoroughly tested for safety by independent labs, for both its common uses, as well as in the mattress itself.

Is the Powder Safe to Inhale?

The mattress was tested for any possible powder inhalation when using the mattress, and the powder coating is, indeed, safe.

The independent lab studies found that the amount of powder coating in the air that could possibly be breathed in is so minuscule, it is within the standards for classifying cleanroom levels and well within what the EPA has determined to be safe for sensitive people, such as those having asthma. That’s safer than the average dust you breathe in all day at home or in the office.

Rest easy knowing that your mattress, and the brand you trust, is comfortably safe, and safely comfortable.

Is the Powder Safe to Touch?

Absolutely! In fact, that you will find the same material in baby sunscreen and plastic food containers. Most notably, in the same powder cosmetics that many people apply to their faces, such as blush or foundation.

According to the Safety Data Sheet provided by the powder’s manufacturer, the powder is not known to contain a chemical substance known to the State of California to cause cancer, reproductive, or developmental toxicity under California Proposition 65; the powder has no known chemicals regulated by New Jersey’s Workers and Community Right to Know Act; the powder has no components subject to the Massachusetts Right to Know Act; nor does the powder contain any chemicals regulated by Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Act.

Is The Purple Bed Toxic?

Purple’s unique Hyper-Elastic Polymer™ The Purple Grid™ is the most comfortable, supportive, and durable comfort technology on the market. With the help of a patented, 100 percent safe polyethylene copolymer powder, the mattress you’ll be most comfortable on can be rolled up and shipped straight to your door for a price you’re comfortable with.