A travel expert has shared a video on TikTok claiming that there is one thing you should never wear on a plane – and it could save your life in the event of an emergency

A travel advisor claimed there is one thing you should never wear on a plane because of the possible health risks.

Mari, a US-based travel advisor who specialises in adults-only holidays, has warned against wearing synthetic materials on planes. In a TikTok video, she explained that synthetic materials can melt and adhere to the skin in the event of a fire.

She said: “Now you should never wear synthetic materials on an airplane because if you’re in an instance where the airplane goes down or there’s a fire on the plane synthetic material actually melts and will melt to your skin and that doesn’t say that natural fibre clothing doesn’t cause burns or catch fire.”

She added that synthetic fibres ignite more quickly than natural ones, meaning even a small spark could set clothing alight. The video has been viewed over 471,900 times and received 7,761 likes and 356 comments.

One user commented: “Girl!! You just stressed me out!” to which Mari responded: “Right? My mom’s friend works in aerospace and told me this. The way my anxiety shot up and I immediately started shopping for new clothes.”

Another added: “Flight attendant here. Especially don’t wear synthetic tights in case of an emergency evacuation, they will melt into your skin while sliding down the slides.”

A third person pondered: “If the aeroplane goes down will it really matter what I’m wearing?” To which Mari replied: “If you survive, yes, it will matter.”

Another chimed in: “So very true. I met a woman who survived a plane crash in the 80s, she told us this fact!”.

Fabric UK has also highlighted the dangers of wearing synthetic fibres, stating: “Some synthetics will not ignite into a flame easily, but when they do catch fire they can be unsafe because many synthetic fibres are thermoplastic, meaning that they become mouldable under high heat. Therefore the fabric will melt, which can cause serious burns to the skin making non fire retardant synthetic fabrics unsuitable for protective clothing.”

The company elaborated that denser woven materials are “harder to ignite in comparison to lighter weight fabrics which will burn easier”. They consider wool to be “one of the safest fabrics” whether natural or synthetic, as it “does not easily ignite, and if it does ignite then the flame will often diminish and the fabric will not melt”.

Despite the rarity of aircraft fires or crashes, choosing the right garment material could prove crucial for safety. Clothing labels can be checked to determine fabric composition.