9 Cool Gadgets For Your Man Cave

If you’re like me, you never grew out of your love of toys…the toys just got more expensive.

Gadgets and technology are an integral part of any good man cave.

Whether its about home automation, gaming, or just having cool stuff…having the latest and greatest technology is always sure to impress your friends and make your home the place to be. In addition, it’s just fun to have some cool toys to play with. You work hard and deserve to enjoy your leisure time.

So this list isn’t about obscure gadgets that you’ll never actually buy, these are the essentials, the things that take any man cave from average to epic.

Here are some cool gadgets for your man cave that will make it a lot more fun to spend time in.

1. Amazon Echo

When home assistants like the Echo first came out I was skeptical.

Not only have I changed my opinion on them, but I now own multiple Echos. I use it to give me a weather and traffic briefing in the morning, turning off all the lights at night, and a ton of other things in between.

This device can do any number of things from the extremely useful to the just plain cool.  When it comes to your man cave, home bar, or game room, there are some specific things that can be really cool…

One of the most useful things that the Echo can do for your man cave control the lights. With the right accessories, you can turn them on and off, dim the lights, change the color of the lights (keep reading for more about some excellent choices for lights), and even set up scenes for specific things like watching a movie, playing pool, or just sitting at your bar.

You can also control home theater devices. With the right remote control (more about that below too) you rarely ever have to lift a finger to operate the basic functions of your home theater.

There are so many things that the Echo can do that it could be an entire article on its own. That’s why I listed this as Number 1 on this list. This should be the first gadget you add to your man cave. A lot of the other gadgets on this list work with the Echo to really take your setup to the next level.

If you never used an Echo, you are going to be amazed that this is some futuristic tech that we have available to us right now for a really affordable price.

You can check out the latest prices on the Amazon Echo HERE or the smaller and less expensive Echo Dot HERE.

2. Apple TV 4

There are a number of streaming video devices, but I have found the Apple TV to be the best.

First off, the new Apple TV 4 can handle displays up to 4k. 4k is quickly replacing HD as the standard for home theater viewing. It hasn’t completely taken over yet, but that day is coming and you don’t want to be unprepared.

Beyond the display, the Apple TV has everything you need for your home theater setup. Of course it has all the basic stuff, like Netflix, Hulu, and just about every major TV network. But most importantly, it has an app called MrMC. If you are familiar with the Kodi App for your computer, this is the Apple App version of that.

In short, MrMC allows you to store movies, tv shows, other videos, and music on any computer on your home network and play them through your Apple TV. There is a little bit of a learning curve to set it up, but it is by far the best way to watch (legally) downloaded content. The Apple TV 4 has enough processing power to run this app smoothly. That alone is enough to get one of these.

Beyond that, the Apple TV4 is a great way to cut the cord from your cable company (unless you need them for internet access). Just about every major TV network (and a lot of not so major networks) have an app for the Apple TV4. I’m sure it depends on what you normally watch, but there are more networks joining the list all the time. The days of old crappy cable boxes are numbered and this gadget may be your first step towards cord cutting freedom.

In addition to that you can also play games, display your iPhone or iPad screen on your tv, and use Siri to control many of the functions of the device.

You can check out the latest price for the Apple TV 4 HERE.

3. Logitech Harmony Elite Remote

If you have a home theater setup in your man cave, you are going to need a full functioned remote to control all of those devices and the Logitech Harmony Elite is the top of the line when it comes to home theater remotes.

Ideally, you want a remote that can perform a sequence of commands with one touch or command so that you can turn on everything you need for a specific activity.

There are a few things that make the Harmony Elite stand above other remotes. First, it uses a hub with RF technology. Which means you do not need to have a line of sight from the remote to the device you are trying to control. This is great for home theater setups where the components may be stored in a cabinet.

Second, it works great with any Amazon Alexa powered device. You can control just about any home theater component with your voice. The added benefit of this is that it also integrates with other smart home devices, like the lighting gadgets listed below.

So with one command, Alexa can turn on the projector and Blu Ray player, dim the room lights, and lower the screen.  I am still trying to figure out how to get her to start making popcorn as well.

I did a comparison between the Harmony Elite and its predecessor the Ultimate Home that you can read by HERE.

You can check out the latest price for the Logitech Harmony Elite Remote HERE.

4. Opti-Shot Golf Simulator

If you love golf like I do and you have the space, an Opti-Shot Golf Simulator is an incredible gadget to have for your man cave.

It’s not quite the same as the $10,000 simulators you see in golf stores and PGA Tour Player’s basements, but it is pretty accurate, much more affordable, and a lot of fun.

Want to learn more, check out this great guide on the Best Golf Simulators For Home.

It uses sensors in a small astro-turf covered device to determine your club path and speed and uses that information to tell you where the ball would have ended up. One of the interesting and cool features of the opti-shot is that it works whether you use a ball or not. So even if you don’t have a net in place to keep the rest of your man cave safe or you just want to use the soft foam balls, you can still work on your game.

Just be sure that you have the ceiling space to swing a golf club. The first time I tried one of these in my basement, I almost broke my 5 iron against the ceiling boards! But once I found a better space for it, it’s my go to for getting my golf fix on a rainy weekend.

Whether you are a hacker that just wants to have some fun or a low handicap golfer that is looking for a way to work on refining your swing, the opti-shot is a must have.

You can check out the latest price for the Opti-Shot Golf Simulator HERE.

5. Occulus Rift

Now if you want to try the latest cutting edge gaming tech, you can also check out the Oculus Rift + Touch Virtual Reality System.

If you do get one, don’t leave out the controllers. The Oculus Touch controllers bring your hands into the VR experience so you can interact naturally with the virtual world.  

I don’t own one yet but had the opportunity to try it and it was incredible. This is the future of gaming for sure.

Before you buy, check the specs to make sure your PC has the horsepower to run the VR games. You can check the specs and the latest price for the Oculus Rift HERE.

6. Wireless Headphones

If you live with someone else or share walls with neighbors, then good quality headphones are a must for those late night movie or video game marathons.

The Sennheiser RS 175 RF Wireless Headphone System is an excellent choice. It has the latest tech from a well established audio company and gives you great value for the money. 

Wireless headphones can be tricky. Until recently, going wireless meant a drop in quality, sketchy connection, and short battery life. These headphones suffer from none of that.

The Sennheiser RS 175 is easily the most cost-effective model in this product line. The difference from the RS 165 to the RS 175 is significant. The transmission distance of the RS 165 is rated at 90 feet while the RS 175 works at a distance of about 300 feet. You may think that isn’t important if you have a small space, but what that really means is that the signal is stronger and less likely to be interrupted even at the shorter distances. Plus, how cool is it to continue listening to the movie if you run into the next room for a snack.

The RS 175 also adds a low/high surround sound capability which the RS 165 (bass boost feature only) does not have.

The online reviews are also overwhelmingly positive so you can feel confident making this purchase.

You can check out the latest price for the Sennheiser RS 175 RF Wireless Headphones HERE.

7. Phillips Hue Lights

To complete the look and feel of your man cave you need good lighting.

The Phillips Hue Smart Bulbs give you simple control and the wow factor you want when entertaining guests.

These are the best lights to set the mood for any occasion in your man cave.

The thing that makes these lights perfect for your man cave is that they can set any mood. Need bright lights for getting some work done or fixing something…done. Need dim lights for watching a movie…done. Need some colorful lighting to set the mood for anything from a trippy Haloween party to a romantic date night…done.

You can even use these lights to set up some cool special effects for an in-home photo or video studio, all you need is a decent mirrorless camera.

And you can control all of it with your voice if you have a compatible smart home device like the Echo.

You can check out the latest price for the Phillips Hue Smart Bulbs HERE.

8. Lutron Caseta Wireless Switches

Now what about the other lights and/or lamps you might have.

You want to be able to control everything with your voice and set up “scenes” that have complete control over the entire environment.

You also don’t need multi-color expensive bulbs in every fixture in the room.

For this, I use Lutron Caseta Wireless Switches.

For all the lights that you don’t need to change colors, having a switch or plug that can be controlled by your voice controlled device is the ideal solution.

With a switch or plug that is wirelessly controlled, you never have to worry about replacing expensive wireless bulbs every time they burn out. It also allows you more flexibility with the light fixtures themselves. They also support dimmable bulbs, but make sure to check the compatibility list if you get eco-friendly bulbs like CFLs or LEDs.

You can check out the latest price for the Lutron Caseta Wireless Switches HERE.

9. Sidebar Liquor Dispenser

If you have a bar in your man cave, the Sidebar Liquor Dispenser is bound to impress your friends.

How cool would it be to make an entire long island iced tea just by pressing a sequence of buttons. That’s better than knowing the cheat code to Contra!

This handy device mounts to the top of your bar and has small tubing that goes below the countertop to bottles of liquor stored down there. Each bottle corresponds to a button on the device above the counter. Simply press a button and is dispenses a shot of the liquor of your choice.

Making believe you know how to be a bartender was never so easy.

You can check out the latest price for the Sidebar Liquor Dispenser HERE.

What’s Your Best Man Cave Gadget?

Did I leave your favorite one off the list?  Let me know in the comments below and I might add it.