Flame barriers became commonplace after fire marshals reported more individuals died or were injured from mattresses or upholstered furniture catching fire than any other type of fire. This smart move, however, quickly became problematic for sleepers. Chemical fire retardants, such as PBDEs and Tris, can off-gas and cause reactions or negative side-effects. The founders of Purple were aware of this issue when they began inventing the perfect bed. The goal was to use a flame barrier that would protect customers in the event a fire occurs without using flame retardants that could harm them on a day-to-day basis. We decided not to use standard chemical flame retardant treatments, and instead found a special flame barrier fabric with unique non-toxic non-chemically treated fibers that naturally slow flames. We then got our flame barrier GREENGUARD Gold Certified, which means it meets the health standards for use in environments such as schools and healthcare facilities, to assure our customers that we hold ourselves to the highest safety standards.