The Rage Room Purchasing Guide

Depending on the number and theme of your rage rooms, your business may need the following equipment to get started:

Assorted scrap items for smashing

Hitting equipment and protective gear

Cleaning equipment after each room use

Safety

Items for rage room should be safe to destroy and shouldn’t cause health concerns for customers after a session. For instance, mercury thermometers and used batteries are dangerous if broken. Before making purchases, examine your items carefully for any safety hazards.

Safety requirements should also be enforced on your customer as well. Everyone should be equipped with helmet, vest, mask, closed toed shoes, and gloves before they enter one of your rage rooms. Children under 18 should be accompanied by a legal guardian.

Room Design

While the items can be smashed in a theme styled room, you would want to protect your room lightings, cables, switches, HVAC system from being damaged. Install these things away from the center of the room, preferably in hidden corners  and use protection if needed.

Cleaning Equipment

Lastly, be sure to get some sturdy cleaning equipment, such as a high power vacuum, broom, dustpan, heavy-duty gloves to quickly pick up the glass shards, and clean up the mess after each rage room session. This will be a repetitive but essential part of your daily operation schedule.

Because your business involves smashing a large number of items, you may want to set up a deal with a local dump or recycling facility to pick up large batches of discarded appliances, bookshelves, and other items.

Other places where you may be able to find cheap or free items include local classifieds, garage sales, second hand stores, used equipment wholesales, construction sites, back doors of local supermarket chains, computer repair stores, restaurants, and moving companies.

You could invite locals to drop off their broken appliances at your business. Another option when starting out is to drive around local neighborhoods on trash/recycle day to pick up any items that are left out for pickup.  

Here are two great websites that have free listings:

• Craigslist
• Freecycle

If you cannot find items for free, thrift stores are also a good option:

• Salvation Army
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore
• SVdP Thrift Store
• Savers
• Goodwill