29 Man Cave Ideas in 2023
Every man wants a man cave. Being a father changes that want into a need. We all need a little space and time to ourselves. We work hard for our families and love them, so we deserve our man cave. We can even make it accommodating for mom too. She’s earned it from the very beginning. After a long day of work and loud noises, nothing is more magical to a father than a quiet place to chill.
Imagine the kids are in bed. You’re walking downstairs and all you hear is silence: the greatest music you never appreciated when you were younger. A comfortable couch, games, movies, ping pong, and NFL Sunday Ticket are all waiting for you to enjoy. bring your friends over for the greatest fantasy football draft they’ve seen.
Take the first to making your man cave today. I’ve compiled a list of man cave ideas to get started. Everyone will have unique twists they want to personalize their space with. These ideas are to help you get the gears turning and the ball rolling. Let’s make the dream a reality.
What Are the Best Man Cave Ideas
Photo by Trevor Michael on Unsplash
1. Bar
A No-Brainer in most man caves, a bar is perfect for when you invite people over. We like to pretend we would make the best bartender, so now, let’s prove it. Size and style can vary for everyone’s personal taste.
2. TV
What kind of man cave doesn’t have some kind of big-screen TV. An OLED will be the best choice for everything. Nothing beats their contrast, colors, and blacks.
Photo by Chauhan Moniz on Unsplash
3. Home Theater
What makes the TV setup into a Home Theater setup? In my opinion, it needs to be blacked out and have surround sound. Going to the movie theater lost most of its appeal to me with increased ticket and concession prices. We also have easy access to a plethora of movies with streaming nowadays.
4. Projector
TVs aren’t for everyone. For some, a TV just isn’t big enough. Maybe the price point just makes more sense. Either way, there are some excellent projector choices.
5. Sports Memorabilia
Sports lovers are bound to have their favorite memorabilia on display. Some men collect cards, others have jerseys. I’m partial to football, so my priorities are jerseys, helmets, and footballs.
6. Gaming Collection
As a gamer, I wish I had more physical games to have a collection. If you haven’t held on to all of your gaming stuff since you were young, it will probably cost a pretty penny to get the collection you want.
7. Bowling Lane
I’ve never seen an in-home bowling lane in person, but I’ll know I’ve made it when I have my own. You don’t need to be a great bowler to still enjoy a lane in your home.
8. Golf Simulator
I imagine a golf simulator is the first thing on the list for many. It’s hard to get an hour to yourself, let alone the multiple hours to golf 18 holes. It might not be quite the same but a golf simulator is a great way to scratch that itch.
Photo by Ben Neale on Unsplash
9. Arcade Games
I love arcades and would be willing to pay a lot of money for my favorites. I’d be happy with Rampage, Donkey Kong, and Pac-Man.
10. PC Gaming Setup
If I only had a small room to work with, this is what I personally would do with it. I was primarily a PC gamer before we had kids and would love to create a whole new setup. I don’t need the fancy RGB, but I know it’s a must for many. Make sure the room has good air conditioning.
Photo by Linda Nguyen on Unsplash
11. Console Gaming with Home Theater
The older I get, the easier and more convenient console gaming becomes. Plug and play is much easier than all the troubleshooting with PC gaming. Just hook it up to your TV or Projector and enjoy a more immersive gaming experience.
12. Book Shelves
One of the most impressive and inspiring things I’ve seen in a man cave was a small library. I was visiting someone that I really look up to. He brought me into his library and gave me one of his books that he thought would help my situation at the time and I decided that I would eventually have the same thing.
13. Dart Board
I was never that interested in darts growing up, but Ted Lasso has inspired me to become a great darts player.
14. Poker Table
Poker Tables come in many shapes, sizes and styles. Foldable ones are a good option, so it isn’t always taking up a large space.
Image by Erik Hendel from Pixabay
15. Pool Table
I’ve never been to a home with a pool table that wasn’t being used. Visitors gravitate to them and kids love them.
16. Ping Pong Table
I played a lot of ping pong growing up. We kept a massive scoreboard on the wall for all of the matchups for years.
17. Shuffle Board
Curling is one of the most popular winter olympic sports and shuffle board is the closest thing I’ll ever get to it.
18. Air Hockey Table
Along with our ping pong table, we played air hockey when I was little. Unfortunately it broke after a couple years and we never fixed it or bought a new one. Air hockey will always be fun though.
19. Basketball Hoop
You can simply stick a hoop on a wall or buy yourself a Pop-A-Shot. Either way, shooting hoops is fun to do while relaxing with friends in the man cave.
Photo by Carl Raw on Unsplash
20. Skee Ball
An iconic arcade game, skee ball is fun for everyone. Just make sure you always have the high score.
21. Pinball Machine
Pinball machines are another classic part of an arcade. Space cadet pinball was fun for anyone that owned a windows pc in the before-fore times, but nothing beats the real thing.
22. Mini Split AC Unit
Having good airconditioning is the most important part of the man cave to me. If it’s too hot, then I will never use it. If the room isn’t set up for the central air to work well, buying a mini split is a great option to keep things cool.
23. Sound Proofing
If you want to feel unrestricted after the kiddos are in bed and your mancave is part of the house, it is wise to do some sound proofing for the room. There are different methods to do this and some men might need more than others.
24. Weights
Our friends can at least think we are working out if we have some free weights in the cave. A good set of dumbbells is a good basis for many workout plans.
Photo by John Matychuk on Unsplash
25. Musical Setup
I love to produce music as a hobby. I don’t need much more than a computer, but a man cave is a great place to have your guitars or drums.
26. Figurines
Maybe I’m just a nerd, but i love figurines. Whether they are figurines of NFL players or my favorite gaming characters. I just like to have a little of my personality on display.
27. Fridge
We need a fridge in the man cave so we can fill our favorite cold beverages without having to leave our cave to the kitchen. A mini fridge would be good enough for me.
28. Foosball Table
I am a terrible foosball player but it can still be fun. Place it somewhere away from the walls so the kids don’t cause damage if they find it.
29. Gun Safe
I’m not a gun enthusiast, but I have many friends that a good gun safe is a must for their man cave. Gun enthusiasts love to show off their toys.
Image by luxstorm from Pixabay
What is a Man Cave?
A man cave is a space dedicated for the man of the house. Filled with his favorite toys and doodads. They can either be in a separate room of the house or a separate structure on the property.
How Can a Man Cave Benefit You?
Everyone can benefit from having some space to themselves. A man cave is a place for Dad to feel like himself again. We spend most of our time for our families, but it is still good for our mental health to spend time and money on ourselves. Make the space suitable for your partner as well, so you can spend more quality time together.
Wrapping Up
I hope that you have found what you need in this list to get a good start on your man cave. Make it unique. Make it personal. Find something to do that will make it feel like it is your own space.
