Does Red Bull Shatter Glass? Don't Believe What You See on Social Media
Is the combination of caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, sucrose and glucose, B-group vitamins, and water destructive?
Published April 30 2024, 5:14 p.m. ET
If you see something with your own eyes, you expect it to be true. But it’s not. It’s not always true. Magic tricks are more trick than magic, and on social media it's way easier to make something look real by just not showing everything.
Though it looks super cool and super simple, you might think Red Bull has the ability to shatter glass. Not only regular glass, but glass windshields. So does the combination of caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, sucrose and glucose, B-group vitamins, and water have the ability to cripple the entire automotive industry while giving you the energy to get through the day?
We all know Red Bull gives you wings. But does it give you shattered glass?
Despite what you’ve seen on a few videos on social media, Red Bull does not shatter glass. The energy drink does not contain any ingredient that destroys windshields. It doesn't matter if it's hot or cold outside or if the Red Bull is boiling or near freezing, your windshield should be able to withstand an over-the-counter beverage, in addition to the elements.
But it sure looks like Red Bull can shatter car glass, based on some videos making the round on social media. That’s because while a windshield does shatter and a person is pouring Red Bull on the windshield, the two are not related. In less than a minute, TikToker Chrisfixit illustrates how the "trick" works.
The can of Red Bull costs about the same as the tool Chris uses in his explainer video. You can pick up a car safety hammer for about $5 on Amazon. They're useful in emergency situations and when you want to create a viral video that'll set you back about $250 to $400 (the average cost of window replacement according to caliber.com).
Just because the Red Bull myth is a myth, the same applies to all energy drinks and windshields.
Monster Energy also does not break glass. Nor does Gatorade. Same with mixing Monster and Gatorade, which was a mini trend/myth from a few years ago. Just like the Red Bull myth, these are myths too.
No energy drink will shatter glass. It does not matter what other beverage that energy drink is mixed with. Windshields are made with tempered glass. They’re built to withstand way more than carbonated beverages.
According to automotiveplanner.com, “Car glasses are usually made of tempered glass. Tempered glass is four times stronger than ordinary glass and is made from annealed glass via a thermal tempering process. The glass is first made with the usual process by melting the raw materials such as silica sand, soda ash, and dolomite. Then the glass goes under the annealing and polishing process. Some glasses are built using the lamination process, where two sheets of glass are bonded together."
Don’t forget, common sense is helpful.
While TikTok trends may seem real, it’s important to remember to use basic logic when seeing most anything on social media. If Red Bull or any other energy drink was actually able to destroy windshields and cause massive car accidents, it’s unlikely the product would be sold at all, let alone in massive quantities around the world.