Man Toys for the House

The Must-Haves of Every Man Cave

One of the most popular marriage clichés is the need for a husband to have a “man cave.” A man cave is a room – often the garage, basement or backyard shed – that is set aside for the man of the house. Modern man caves frequently feature large televisions, theater-style seating, taxidermy, shelves of videos games, sports memorabilia, a bar and/or safes full of guns and ammo. It is a place where men can go to escape their families and spouse.

Regardless of the décor, all man cave hideaways have one thing in common: toys. Below is a list of popular hobbies and toys that populate man caves around the United States:

Cars and Motorcycles

Fixing up cars and motorcycles is an old pastime for men, and one of the most expensive hobbies. The upside? At least the mess stays in the garage.

Grilling

Grills range in price and size, depending on your needs. There are also variations of the mega cooking machines, like smokers and fryers. Since you won’t find a grill inside, this hobby is relegated to the outdoors.

Beer Drinking

Many man caves feature bars and beer-drinking accessories. For the beer loving man, brewing your own beer has become a popular hobby. A kegerator fits nicely into a small kitchenette, but requires maintenance and, of course, regular beer consumption. Check out these hundreds of ideas for creative refrigerators and liquor dispensers.

Collecting Guns

Collecting guns can be an expensive hobby, as it isn’t just the guns that need collecting. Each firearm needs a scope, grip and ammo. In addition, multiple trips to the range are required for each firearm. Firearms need a safe place to be stored, away from visitors and children. Gun safes can be expensive, but are worth the investment if you have little ones running around.

Watching Sports

A must-have of any man cave is the large flat screen television or projection screen and the sports television package to accompany it. The NFL ticket, NBA league pass and the MLB subscription are a must for any big sports fan.

Video Games

From action and strategy to racing and sports, there is a video game from every type of gamer, and one thing remains true about all videos: they will entertain for hours.

Workout Equipment

For the man who values the importance of health, workout equipment is necessary in his man cave. Weight benches and treadmills are popular exercise equipment, helping to keep the entire family in shape.

Other popular components of a man cave may include:

Sports equipment (fishing, balls, sneakers, paintball guns)
Taxidermy
Sports memorabilia
Movie collections
Cigars or pipes
Tools
Work bench
Billiards
Game Tables
Camping equipment
Books
Bikes
Arcade games
History memorabilia
Recliner, or other comfortable chair

The female version of a man cave, dubbed a she shed, is growing in popularity, although man caves have been around for much longer. What both of these hideaways say is that everyone needs space to do their own thing.