5 Gadgets To Upgrade Your Man Cave

Although the traditional man cave has always been something of a sanctuary for the man of the house, the term has broadened in recent years, and we even have new terms which might seem more fitting for your specific use, such as the she shed, or simply hobby room. Regardless of how you best describe that space in your house, the purpose of it rarely changes from somewhere to indulge in hobbies, be they centered around sports, cars, tech, or simply just hanging out with friends and family.

Now that the end of the year is approaching, you might find yourself with a little extra free space on the calendar, and therefore more time than usual to enjoy the man cave. So, with that in mind, perhaps now is also the best time to update and upgrade the space. Now, not every man cave-appropriate gadget or gizmo is going to suit your specific space, as it all depends on how you choose to enjoy that room, so we've decided to highlight a selection, with the idea that at least one or two will help to elevate your own space.

Each of the suggestions come in at under $100 to keep things affordable, and they each promise to elevate the enjoyment levels of the most indulgent room in your house. If you're looking for gift inspiration, picking any of these gadgets will surely go down a lot better than another T-shirt, glass, or sign with 'man cave' stamped across it.

If you don't already have a top-tier sound system in your man cave, then this is probably the best way you can quickly and cheaply upgrade the room. Forget using tinny TV speakers to blare out your favorite tunes, a good quality Bluetooth speaker is perfect for amplifying your man cave enjoyment.

There are endless options out there too, including cool retro speakers, which look like old-school radios from the 1950s and '60s. These are great for integrating into an already retro-themed man cave, or if your space is more cutting edge, then perhaps something sharp and modern is better suited. Either way, there are plenty of options out there for under $100, and just as much north of that price tag too, if you fancy blowing the budget on a crazy surround sound system.

If, however, the retro design does appeal, you could also consider a Crosley record player. Something like the Cruiser Plus is affordable, comes in a whole host of eye-catching designs, and allows you to not only play your vintage vinyl, but it packs Bluetooth functionality too. There are plenty of record players for all budgets out there, regardless of whether you want something cheap and simple, or high-end and crisp.

Drinking and man caves often go hand-in-hand with one another, but there's no reason to keep your beer-drinking habits as dull as just cracking cans open on a Friday night. Instead, add a little flair to your beer-serving skills with a cool vintage gas pump dispenser. This is, of course, the ideal gift for any classic car fan too, plus it'll blend right in if your man cave is full of retro trinkets. You simply fill it with beer, then use the vintage-style dispenser to pour beer into your glass. It's simple, it's fun, and best of all, it'll only set you back $30.

To make the most of this purchase, consider combining it with something fun like a wooden bottle cap map, some personalized beer glasses and coasters, or simply buy plenty of beer to keep that dispenser topped up over Christmas. While this beer dispenser is certainly a great way to upgrade your own man cave, it also makes the perfect gift, as not only will it look smart when displayed on a home bar, but it's practical too. Decor items are always appreciated, sure, but if you can give something that not only looks great but it serves a fun purpose too, then all the better.

More often than not, man caves are made out of seldom used rooms, such as garages or basements. These spaces are separate from the rest of the house and work perfectly for such a purpose, but they can be a little dark and moody to begin with. That's why lightning is so important. Brightening up the space not only makes it more inviting for guests, but it will help to elevate the feel of the place for yourself, too.

Once you've handled the main lightning solutions to your man cave, a great next step can be to get a little creative, and bring in some hobby-specific lamps to not only brighten up the place further, but to personalize it further, too. The great news is, regardless of whether you're a sports fan, car nut, or movie nerd, there are a whole host of lamps perfectly tailored to your interests. We found a whole smattering of Lord Of The Rings lamps for under $100, in addition to $25 piston desk lamps for the gearheads, plus a pretty much endless supply of sports related lamps.

If you're trying to make your man cave a little more inclusive for the whole family, perhaps consider a custom neon sign with one of your child's name on it. It can be situated next to a comfy little armchair just for them, perhaps with a USB mini fridge full of juice drinks and snacks nearby. A man cave needn't be reserved just for you, it can be a fun place of indulgence for everyone in the house.

When it comes to must-haves in a man cave, some sort of retro gaming console is pretty high up on most folk's lists. Not only do they look great, especially when fully set up with flashing lights and nostalgic sounds blaring out, but they can be a great way to spend a few hours just killing time with friends and family. Now, we would surely all love to have a cool vintage arcade machine from decades gone by, but these will easily set you back thousands of dollars, and that's just not attainable for many of us. Fortunately, cheaper alternatives do exist.

At the cheaper end of things, you can pick up little handheld mini arcade machines, complete with that all-important joystick, a full-color screen, and a good selection of retro games. Something like this needn't cost much more than $20, and while it won't dominate the space like a full-size machine would, it's still something fun to waste away some hours with.

For a little over $100, you can get something a little more substantial that more closely resembles those iconic machines from the '80s, and it's something like this that would be best if you're thinking of entertaining a crowd, as the handheld machines can be a little small for spectators to really see what's going on. If you're happy to blow the budget by a bigger margin, though, a five-foot arcade machine could be yours for around $500. This will deliver the full arcade experience, and is a sure-fire way of ensuring your man cave is the place to be on Friday nights and across the holidays.

This last entry is less about adding more fun into your man cave, but instead it looks to ensure that the time you spend in there is actually time spent indulging in your hobbies and interests, whatever they be. Many people spend thousands decking out their man caves, and so it only makes sense that they'd like to keep them looking fresh and clean all the time – but spending half your time in there cleaning and tidying kind of defeats the man cave's purpose.

That's why something like a robot vacuum makes so much sense. There are a few things you should consider before buying a robot vacuum, such as whether you need one with smart features or a built-in mop, and it's worth knowing that you can spend as much or as little as you'd like on one of these. The cheaper end includes vacuums in the $80 to $100 range, and these devices claim to be able to tackle pet hair, hard floors, and they sport a run time of around 120 minutes. At the other end of the scale are $1,000+ vacuums, which promise to vacuum, mop, avoid obstacles, deep clean, and more.

While these might not seem as objectively fun or indulgent as some of the other ideas featured, they do give you the opportunity to reduce those cleaning hours a little, and that's a win in our books.