This year’s big-game bash may be light on the bash, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be festive. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that sometimes you just have to make the best of the moment that’s right in front of you. With that in mind, here’s some gear that we recommend to enhance the game day experience.
The best TVs
If you didn’t score a new TV during gift-giving season, now is a great time to treat yourself, since TV manufacturers often offer discounts around the big game. We can’t guarantee that our favorite TVs will be on sale, but we’ll be tracking them here.
LCD TVs are generally best for really bright living rooms, and if you’ve got a big family that watches the screen from all parts of the room, the Sony X950H is a particularly good choice, thanks to its wide viewing angle. For those who are willing to pay more to enjoy the best picture quality year-round, OLED TVs offer the best possible performance—but they’re still more expensive than similarly sized LCD TVs.
An affordable soundbar
A budget soundbar is a great way to upgrade your TV’s sound quality for sports because it's easy to set up and comes with everything you need—including a subwoofer. Lots of inexpensive soundbars sound okay, but our pick, the JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass, actually sounds good, with clear voice reproduction and deeper bass than most models in this price range. And built-in Bluetooth means you can use it for music as well. Of course, you could spend more on a nicer soundbar or lay out even more cash on a receiver and a surround-sound system, but the JBL is a simple, affordable choice that can make a huge improvement.
An HD antenna
This year’s game is on CBS. If you’ve cut the cord and no longer have access to live TV, consider getting our favorite HD antenna. An omnidirectional antenna can pull in free UHF and VHF HDTV channels within about a 15- to 20-mile radius yet is small enough to tuck away in a corner or behind the TV.
Streaming options
Another option for cord-cutters is to stream the game. Now might be the perfect time for a free trial of a live TV service like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV, both of which offer CBS in most areas. CBS’s own streaming service, All Access, also has a seven-day free trial. While you can view these services through a Web browser or mobile device, we recommend a good streaming media player to connect to that new TV for a higher-quality experience.
Slow cooker and pressure cooker combo
An electric pressure cooker is the appliance you don’t know you’re missing until you get one. You can use it on high pressure to pull pork in an hour and then have it clean and ready for nacho cheese duty in slow-cooker mode just minutes later. And if you’re in search of some new game day recipes to try, check out NYT Cooking.
Snacks and beverages
Good snacks are the backbone of game day, which is why we conducted this snackdown to find good chips, salsa, and more. And perhaps this is the year to broaden your beverage horizons by learning how to mix cocktails or brew your own beer. If you fail spectacularly, no one else has to know.
Take it outside
If you live somewhere where it’s possible to enjoy outdoor events in February, we envy you—and we suggest you consider moving game day outdoors. It opens up some space for social distancing, and it feels a bit more like a tailgate. The tips we offer in our blog post How to DIY Your Own Outdoor Movie Theater apply just as well to game day, if you want to set up a big-screen system with a projector and Bluetooth speaker. Of course, your ability to use a projector to watch the game outside may be dictated by the time zone you live in; kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 pm EST.
Folding table and chairs
An outdoor setup may require a good, sturdy folding table and chairs. Our table pick was the easiest table to set up and move around, and its design makes it more compact to store. Our chair pick from HDX is wider than most folding chairs we tested, with a flexible, breathable plastic-mesh back and seat. If you want more comfort and don’t mind spending a bit more, a camp chair with armrests and a beverage holder will make those tense moments less tense on your back.
Folding table and chairs
A cooler full of your family’s favorite beverages just feels more tail-gatey—and it keeps everyone from trudging in and out the patio door and repeatedly opening the fridge.
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