Home Sauna Kit Lawsuit Filed Over Woman’s Burn Injuries

Growing number of lawsuits claim personal sauna products can malfunction, causing individuals to suffer serious burns and other injuries.

A New Jersey woman has filed a product liability lawsuit alleging she suffered severe burns after the water tank of her SaunaBox Smart Steam personal sauna suddenly exploded.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Arriele Cannon in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on August 14, naming SaunaBox LLC as the sole defendant.

Cannon claims her SaunaBox personal sauna was defectively designed, inadequately tested and sold without sufficient warnings about the risk of serious burns.

Personal Sauna Risks

Personal saunas are compact devices designed for at-home use that heat the body through steam, infrared energy or other technologies, often marketed for relaxation, detoxification and weight loss.

However, several lawsuits filed in recent years allege that personal sauna products have caused serious burn injuries.

In May, a personal injury lawsuit was filed against Amazon by a Texas man who alleges he suffered severe burns after becoming trapped inside a portable infrared sauna purchased through the platform. According to the complaint, the sauna’s zipper failed, preventing him from escaping before he lost consciousness and sustained extensive burns.

A Pennsylvania woman also filed a product liability lawsuit last year after allegedly suffering severe burns and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when an infrared sauna pod malfunctioned. Her complaint alleges the sauna pod reached an unsafe temperature because of a product defect.

SaunaBox Smart Steam Injury Allegations

According to the complaint, Cannon received a SaunaBox Smart Steam Pro portable at-home sauna kit as a gift. On October 11, 2025, she was allegedly using the device when the water tank suddenly exploded, causing scalding hot water to spray across her body and resulting in severe burn injuries.

Cannon claims she required medical treatment following the incident and continues to receive care for injuries she alleges are permanent.

The lawsuit argues that there were alternative sauna designs available which would have prevented Cannon’s injuries or greatly reduced her risk of suffering them. Moreover, the complaint alleges SaunaBox failed to adequately warn consumers about the risks associated with the product.

Cannon also points to advertising claims that the personal sauna “delivers the full rejuvenating experience of a traditional sauna.” However, she alleges the SaunaBox exposes users to an unreasonable risk of injury that is not associated with traditional saunas.

“When placed in the stream of commerce, the Sauna was defective in design and formulation, making the use of the Sauna more dangerous than an ordinary consumer would expect, and more dangerous than other risks associated with other portable sauna units on the market.”

— Arriele Cannon v. SaunaBox LLC

The complaint raises allegations of violation of the New Jersey Products Liability Act, defective design, failure to warn and breach of express warranty. It seeks compensation for pain and suffering, disability, mental anguish, embarrassment, humiliation, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life and medical treatment.

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