(Last modified on March 27th, 2020)
Looking for ideas on man cave stuff? Or maybe you’ve been wondering out loud, ‘What is man cave stuff, anyways?’ In either case, this post has you covered. Locating, identifying, and securing man cave stuff varies in difficulty. It all depends on the theme of your man cave and personal standards. Man cave stuff defines that theme, brings the room together, and gives your room functionality. If you're looking for gifts, this information is just as crucial...though I go over what you need to know in more detail on this page!
Some themes (such as rustic man caves) are easier to shop for than others. On top of that, you may not have a bottomless wallet to spend on your man cave stuff. I not only cover what sort of man cave stuff you want to put in your cave, but also how to decorate your mancave in an affordable manner. Let’s begin!
The first thing you want to put in your man cave is comfortable seating. No matter what sort of stuff you’re into, you’ll want at least one good place to sit in the cave. Next, when choosing your man cave stuff, try future-proofing your cave. This means getting the latest and greatest 4K HD television. Yes, it’s a lot of money up front, but you won’t have to get another TV again until it breaks or (in a decade at least) it becomes obsolete. To go with the excellent TV, throw in a good sound system and maybe a few game consoles. A dart board and pool table round out your entertainment essentials.
Of course, as far as big man cave stuff, you’ll want to throw in a little more than stuff to do. You need stuff to drink and perhaps a bit to eat. Grab a fridge, wine cooler, and consider constructing a wet bar for yourself. It saves you trips to the kitchen and makes your man cave an excellent place to hang out. Just make sure not to abuse the convenience of your new bar too much.
The best things to have in a man cave are fully functional decorations. They should do more than accent the theme or show off your aesthetic. For example, if you get a bottle opener, look for something similar to your theme. Switch out your lampshades for something more fitting. Look for table stands that have a good material or color befitting the room. This type of man cave stuff really pulls the man cave together and gives it much more functionality, even though the differences are tiny. More functionality means that you can use your man cave to its fullest. Want to know more about finding accessibility in objects? Check out some ideas that I cooked up for you on this page.
Part of building the ultimate man cave is grabbing the ultimate man cave accessories. On top of fixing up essential tools, look for things that add extra features to your man cave. In example, adding a themed coat rack to the room gives it a little function and adds to the space in a minimal way. As another example, you could hook up a custom switch system that ‘activates’ certain lighting setups with the flick of a switch. It’s very impressive to guests to go from a brightly lit room to a movie mode with floor lights in an instant. But now, with that, we’re treading a little into cool gadget territory…
Your remote control is a surprising gadget that can seriously contribute to your QOL. Consider getting a fancy one to put among your man cave stuff. Use a Roku 2 to add even more functionality to your TV, giving you some exclusive content and apps just for living room use. Frequently overlooked, but absolutely essential, the wifi router needs to be close to your man cave or inside it. You can also throw in a wifi-extender, if that’s not possible. Lastly, an Amazon Echo or similar AI interactive device helps you automate much of your busy work while in the cave. If you think of something while relaxing, you can just give a shout to leave a note. And—perhaps most importantly—it helps you settle alcohol-fueled fights over whether a trout or a salmon is bigger. (Hint: they’re practically the same fish.)
Before you work on saving money, work on figuring out your budget. If you only have $1000 to spare on this room, then there’s no way you’re throwing in a 4K television. Do not take out loans just to make a room look nice. Once you know your available funds, work on the entrance of the room. It should have a coat rack and an immediate indication that this is man territory. A man cave sign works best for this, but weird accessories or different flooring work just as well. Find these accessories by perusing thrift stores and places like Goodwill. Another small way to make a big difference without spending money is to paint an accent wall. You need fewer decorations when eyes are drawn to one part of the room (your brightly colored wall).
For the furniture and large items, you want to go to an antique store or pawn shop. Focus on durable furniture, rather than what you would find from a supermarket or mass-produced furniture store. Wooden stuff lasts forever and can be easily repaired, so go for that. Metal stuff lasts even longer, though you will be hard-pressed to find a quality piece that doesn’t break your bank. Look up tutorials on upholstery to customize this furniture to suit your needs. It will look brand new and match your man cave perfectly by the time you’re done with it! Want to know more about selecting furniture? Check out this post I wrote on Man Cave Furniture!
When you’re gathering little stuff, try to repurpose what you already have. Metal decor tends to be very versatile, good books can be thrown in for accents, and trinkets can really highlight a theme (assuming they match the theme of your man cave, of course). Among man cave stuff, small items are the ones that get cycled out the most. Focus less on finding the perfect stuff for your room and focus on filling in the blanks with what you can. As time goes on, you slowly replace these objects with the stuff of a true man cave…without breaking the bank.
Lastly, for stuff like a fridge, you want to peruse Amazon or eBay and buy something used from someone personally. I just don’t trust electrical equipment bought from second hand stores. It’s much easier to hold individuals on eBay and Amazon accountable if they sell you failing equipment. If you ever run into trouble, both sites have amazing customer support to make sure you’re not scammed out of your hard-earned cash. Simply test the product as thoroughly as possible once it enters your home.
Man cave stuff is anything that adds to your man cave. It occupies all the space in your mantuary, defines the theme, gives people inside the room things to look at, and helps you with day-to-day life. You don’t need to cram the room with as much stuff as you can. Vary up the size and shape of your stuff, and you can easily make the room look occupied without going all-out. Still want to know what is man cave stuff? Simply take a look on the inside. No, not your actual man cave. Inside yourself. Man cave stuff represents what you like as a person. It reflects who you are and the things you prioritize. If you want something for the man cave, then it belongs among your man cave stuff. It’s as simple as that. Just…don’t clutter up the room too much.
