Watching sports is many men’s favorite pastime. Of course you can do this in your living room or at a sports bar, but why not in your own man cave? You can set it up exactly how you like, for just yourself or a group of buddies. You won’t be disturbed by anyone or anything. The only drawback is that you have to get your own beer and snacks. I think the trade off is worth it.
Table of Contents
What you need
So what do you need to convert your man cave into your own personal sports bar? Let’s find out. Here are the essential parts of a sports bar.
- Screen
- Comfortable seating
- Decorations
- Drinks
- Memorabilia
- Info screen
Keep reading to find out more about each of these things
1. Screen
By far the most important thing you need to watch a game is a screen to watch it on. You’ve actually got two options here.
Of course a setup to watch the game is very similar to a home theater setup. Check out this article on a affordable home theater system.
TV
The obvious and most popular way to watch the game is on a TV. Big screen TV’s are pretty cheap nowadays and provide great picture quality with 4k, LED backlights, HDR etc. A good TV is probably the best option for most people. A TV is an all in one package that doesn’t need a whole lot of setting up or other things to work.
Projector
If you have the space and really want to go up in screen size (100”+), going with a projector is definitely a good option. The screen size can is potentially much larger than a TV and likely cheaper than a TV of the same size.
Projectors have gotten cheaper in the past years although for great picture quality you’ll still have to pay. Check out this article on CNET about 4k projectors.
Keep in mind that you’ll also need a screen to project on and a sound system. Unlike a TV there is usually no sound built into a projector.
2. Comfortable seating
While watching a game you don’t want to sit on the floor. Everyone present should be able to watch comfortably without bending into weird shapes to see the screen or have painful bum at halftime.
Bar
If you’ve got limited space but want to have more people over than fit on a sofa, a bar might be a good idea. A bar with stools for six people takes up less space than six lounge chairs. That means you need to put the screen behind the bar for viewing comfort though. This will likely limit your screen size or alternatively it dictates the location of the bar.
Check this viewing distance chart to help you figure out the best location for your screen.
Sofa
If you’ve got enough space or don’t have too many people over, one or two sofa’s is a good way to go. More comfortable than bar stools and you also have more flexibility because you can move sofa’s around pretty easily.
Lounge chairs
Lounge chairs are the most comfortable and flexible but take up quite a lot of space. Having lounge chairs for six people is a bit much and not very practical.
For most people a combination of sofa(s) and lounge chairs is the best balance between comfort and practicality.
Suggested post: Best Man Cave Chairs.
3. Decorations
Here’s where you get to turn your man cave into a sports lovers paradise. Screens and sofas are good for many other interests but the decoration is where you can make the difference. Sports decorations are a huge market and there is a lot of choice. Almost all teams sell enough merchandise to decorate a skyscraper so finding something you like shouldn’t be too difficult. You can check your favorite team’s website or on Amazon.
Posters
Posters are usually pretty cheap and cover a large area of wall space. They are easy to replace if you get tired of them. If you put them in a frame, they will last longer and look better but the frame is going to be more expensive than the poster probably.
The best posters for your man cave.
Lamps
For some reason lamps are a popular sport themed decoration. There are plenty of lamps in the shape of balls, helmets, etc. A Neon sign might be another great addition to the decor of your man cave as well.
Wall mounted objects
You can mount plenty of things on the wall that are sports related. Balls and bats are great to put on a wall for example. These things make great decorations because it’s something “real” a poster or a picture is flat.
4. Memorabilia
Sports memorabilia can be a form of decoration but I thought it deserved a separate spot on this list. The variety of sports memorabilia is so large that it’s difficult to make a list that comes close to being complete so I’m not going to try.
Some examples: Jerseys, bats, balls, plaques, pictures, pucks, helmets, hats, etc. Usually these things are signed.
In my opinion you can divide memorabilia into two categories.
Personal
Personal memorabilia are things you or maybe a close family member or friend has personally used in a sports game. It means something to you and would like to put it on the wall so you can look at it and be reminded of that moment or person. These things are valuable but usually not very valuable to random strangers.
Other
The other category is memorabilia that are used by others and you value it. It can be the jersey of your favorite player, a ball your team used in a certain game, used bats, gloves etc. that belonged to a player you admire. Usually these things are valuable to more people than just you.
Memorabilia often are more interesting (and valuable) than other decorations. There is usually a very limited supply so it’ll be a great conversation piece and something to be proud of.
If you’re looking to buy sports memorabilia, check out this site.
5. Drinks & Snacks
You need something to eat and drink during a game. Sadly if you stay at home and watch the game in your man cave, there will be no waitresses to serve you. You’ll need to prepare and have some things nearby. Snacks are easily prepared beforehand. Drinks are usually preferred cold though. That means you need a fridge nearby to keep them cold. Outside the man cave isn’t great because you don’t want to miss the most important part of the match.
A fridge inside is best. And don’t forget a table where you and others can put their drinks and snacks.
6. Info screen
If you’ve got one screen, you can only watch one game at a time. Want to stay updated on other games’ scores and developments? Get an info screen that displays that information.
Hi there. I’m BetterDaily. I’m a man in his early thirties that likes to travel, ride motorcycles, work out and write. Usually I write about men, things related to masculinity and things men like. Teacher by day, blogger by night.
