Dick’s Sporting Goods Sauna Lawsuit Alleges Exploding Water Tank Caused Severe Burns

SaunaBox lawsuits allege defects in the company’s personal steam saunas can cause water tanks to explode and expose users to severe burn injuries.

A California man has filed a product liability lawsuit alleging that a defective SaunaBox SmartSteam personal sauna sold at Dick’s Sporting Goods suddenly exploded, causing him to suffer severe burns.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Demir Tagani in the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California on September 1, naming SaunaBox LLC and Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. as defendants.

Tagani claims the at-home personal steam sauna kit was defectively designed, inadequately tested and sold without sufficient warnings.

The SaunaBox SmartSteam Pro Kit is a portable steam sauna designed for at-home use, combining an enclosed sauna tent with a steam generator that produces high-humidity heat. While the product is marketed as a convenient alternative to a traditional sauna, prior lawsuits allege that SaunaBox steam sauna systems can expose users to dangerously hot steam or water, resulting in serious burn injuries.

Similar to Tagani’s complaint, a New Jersey woman filed a SaunaBox lawsuit last month after the water tank of her SmartSteam personal sauna exploded, resulting in serious burns to her body. The complaint alleges safer alternative sauna designs were available and that the company failed to adequately warn consumers about the product’s risks.

SaunaBox SmartSteam Pro Injury Allegations

According to the lawsuit, Tagani purchased a SaunaBox SmartSteam Pro on July 20, 2025, from Dick’s Sporting Goods. A few months later, on October 18, 2025, he claims he was using the sauna as instructed when the water tank suddenly exploded without warning, spraying hot water onto him and causing severe burns to his legs, chest, arms and hand.

The complaint alleges Tagani has suffered pain, disability and mental anguish as a result of the incident. He maintains his injuries are permanent or continuing and could result in future financial losses.

Tagani argues the sauna was unreasonably dangerous due to defects in its design and manufacture, despite being marketed as a portable, at-home product intended to provide the benefits of a traditional sauna in a compact package. The lawsuit also claims the defendants failed to provide adequate warnings or adopt a safer alternative design.

“Alternatively, Defendant, Sauna, knew, or in the exercise of ordinary care should have known, of the means of designing, manufacturing and/or marketing the Sauna such that the type of incident and resulting injuries and damages as described herein would have been prevented.”

— Damir Tagani v. SaunaBox LLC et al.

The lawsuit alleges strict product liability, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties and failure to warn. It seeks compensatory damages, court costs and any other relief the court deems appropriate.

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