The Best & Worst of The Sims 4 Stuff Packs (2024 Update)

What is a Stuff Pack, Anyway?

Since there are so many different “pack” types for the game now, it can be confusing understanding the differences between each type. Here’s a quick summary:

• Expansion Packs are the largest type of packs for the Sims 4 and include major new gameplay elements, CAS items, Build/Buy objects, and (with the exception of Seasons) a whole new world. Most of the time expansion packs will add something new that completely changes how you play the game.
• Game Packs are similar to expansion packs but tend to be smaller with less content and are focused on a much tighter, more specific theme. Instead of getting new gameplay, content, and worlds, game packs typically focus on one or two of those main elements with supplemental content elsewhere.
• Stuff Packs are packs…of stuff! They will primarily aim at CAS and Buy/Build content and may include new gameplay by way of a new object or two, in a much smaller scale than game or expansion packs.
• Kits are the smallest type of new content for the Sims 4 and typically have a very small number of new items added. They usually feature new CAS items or new Build/Buy items, not both. Bust the Dust is, to date, the only kit to offer a new gameplay element.

The 10 Worst Stuff Packs You Should Avoid

These are the stuff packs that are the least value for your money, and should be skipped if you don’t have a specific interest in their theming.

20. My First Pet Stuff

My First Pet Stuff is a DLC that introduces tank pets such as hedgehogs and rats, clothing options for cats and dogs, and some furniture items that match the Buy Mode items from the Cats & Dogs expansion pack.

Why you should skip this stuff pack: This stuff pack gained a lot of ire from players when it was announced because a huge chunk of the content relies on having the Cats & Dogs EP, so it was basically add-on content to add-on content. If you don’t have Cats & Dogs you’re unable to use any of the new pet clothing, and the furniture set will feel incomplete without it. Many people felt that this content should have been included with the Cats & Dogs EP and billed as a full Pets EP instead, and that it had been cut and packaged separately to specifically get more money out of players.

You might enjoy this stuff pack if: If you already have Cats & Dogs and enjoy the Buy Mode content, or if you really want smaller tank pets in your game.

19. Perfect Patio Stuff

Perfect Patio Stuff is one of the first stuff packs released for the Sims 4. It adds more items for spending time outside, such as new grills, and some more summery clothing. The biggest draw of the pack is the introduction of hot tubs. It also added the Backyard radio station.

Why you should skip this stuff pack: The main appeal of this pack was the hot tub. Hot tubs were base game items in the first 2 Sims games, and while Sims 3 players needed to buy the Late Night expansion pack to get their first hot tub, it was at least an EP with a lot more content to make it worth the buy.

In 2020, EA released a free hot tub for the base game in celebration of the Sims’ 20th birthday, so now you don’t even need to buy this stuff pack if you want a hot tub.

You might enjoy this stuff pack if: If you don’t use CC and are one of the many players who think the free hot tub is ugly, this pack will give you other hot tub options to use.

18. Luxury Party Stuff

Luxury Party Stuff adds new CAS and Build/Buy content for throwing fancy, lavish parties. It also includes a banquet table which can be stocked with different types of food for your guests to enjoy, and you don’t need to hire a caterer to keep guests fed as long as the table is stocked.

Why you should skip this stuff pack: The theming in this pack is actually pretty good, but it’s one of those aesthetics that is very “glam” and a lot of the content isn’t super usable in most situations. The makeup is mottled and kind of clownish, and some of the men’s outfits are so garish that they will only look good as party wear.

You might enjoy this stuff pack if: If you like bold and bright fashion you will likely enjoy this pack. A sim like Thorne Bailey or Izzy Fabulous would be right at home in these styles, so it’s really a matter of what you like and whether you think you would get a lot of use out of the content.

17. Romantic Garden Stuff

Romantic Garden Stuff comes with items to make gardens more lavish, including overgrown statues, archways, and fountains, with the most significant addition being a wishing well that can help or hinder sims. It also brings a new Baroque music station and CAS content in a slightly more preppy style.

Why you should skip this stuff pack: If you’re not big into landscaping in your game, there isn’t really much in this pack that will appeal to you. The wishing well is pretty cool but it doesn’t do much that can’t be achieved through regular gameplay means or using cheats.

You might enjoy this stuff pack if: This pack is quite beautifully designed so if you are into landscaping, you will enjoy it. The items are all nicely “grown in,” so even if you’re terrible at furnishing outdoor spaces the objects included will make your yard look nice. The theming is also good for historical players, builders who like to do older estate type builds, or anyone who just loves having colorful flowers everywhere.

16. Cool Kitchen Stuff

Cool Kitchen Stuff introduces ice cream machines to the game as well as some modern appliances and countertops, kitchen clutter items like spice racks and utensil hangers, and a decent amount of new CAS content including aprons for your baker or grill master sims. Ice cream can also be added to restaurant menus if you have Dine Out so you can build ice cream parlors!

Why you should skip this stuff pack: The ice cream machine is a neat addition to the game but unfortunately it’s one of those items that sims love to flock to and they’ll often favor making ice cream to eat over eating leftovers or cooking a meal. If you’re not careful your house will soon be littered with containers of melted ice cream everywhere!

You might enjoy this stuff pack if: The CAS content in this pack is really nice, it’s casual and colorful and looks like clothing your average character would wear. The new kitchen items are modern without being dated quickly, and additional clutter is always welcome.

15. Backyard Stuff

Backyard Stuff was released almost 2 full years before the Seasons expansion pack and gives your sims new things to enjoy while outside in the endless summer. A drink tray with 3 new drinks, bird feeders, water slides, wind chimes, and patio furniture come with this pack.

Why you should skip this stuff pack: This pack added lots of cool little features, but nothing really significant. The novelty of playing outside so much wore off fairly quickly when players didn’t have shifting seasons and the weather was the same every single day.

You might enjoy this stuff pack if: It’s a good pack for adding new ambient sounds to your outdoor spaces, with chirping birds at the feeders and wind chimes in 3 materials that can be changed to play 3 different pitches. Your sims also get buffs from hearing them. This is a usable pack for players who love the aesthetic of kitschy, colorful yard spaces. It’s also got one of the few children’s hairstyles that come in colorful dyed colors.

14. Vintage Glamour Stuff

Vintage Glamour Stuff is the kind of pack Judith Ward would love. It’s full of content styled with old-fashioned luxury in mind, and adds new objects like a vanity where sims can do their makeup, the only 1-tile bar released in the game until recently, and it allows you to hire live-in butlers.

Why you should skip this stuff pack: The thing about this pack is that while it adds several new features, none of them are particularly earth-shattering. Vanities are nice but the makeup options are limited and often look ridiculous, the globe bar has its own separate drink menu and you cannot use it for mixology skill, and the butlers can be very buggy sometimes. And while nicely themed, the Buy/Build content is limited so you couldn’t furnish a whole house in this single style.

You might enjoy this stuff pack if: Like Luxury Party stuff, the content in this pack is more suited to players who like a bit bolder style. There are several focal decor items, the theming is pretty tight, and the butler, when they work properly, can be a welcome addition to your household.

13. Fitness Stuff

Fitness Stuff is a pack for gym rats, with new athletic clothing, gym equipment, and the introduction of the rock wall and ear buds objects. It also adds workout videos to televisions, but oddly enough, no new music stations.

Why you should skip this stuff pack: Compared to other stuff packs, this one is pretty small. CAS only came with 17 new items, 2 of the 3 new pieces of workout equipment are items we already have in base game, and there are no options for sims to do workout classes together via workout videos. The modern style of the Build/Buy items doesn’t jive with the colorful relaxed look of the new clothing items and looks like it belongs in a totally different pack.

You might enjoy this stuff pack if: If you have sims who spend a lot of time at the gym or you want more fitness options, the rock wall and workout TV station might be for you. Earbuds are also a neat feature that have yet to make their way into any of the other packs so if that’s something you really want, this is the only way to get it.

12. Bowling Night Stuff

Bowling Night Stuff adds CAS content with a rockabilly vibe as well as a host of Build/Buy content for bowling lanes. Sims will spawn at the bowling alley in league shirts, you can activate moonlight bowling for a funkier experience, and listen to the NuDisco radio station. If you have Get Together, you can even form your own bowling leagues!

Why you should skip this stuff pack: Bowling is a fun activity but without the addition of a new “bowling alley” lot type, you have to shoehorn your lanes into other builds like bars or retail spaces. If you don’t have Get Together there’s no way to form clubs for bowling, and there’s no way to compete with other leagues. The furniture is nicely themed but doesn’t integrate well with pieces from other packs.

You might enjoy this stuff pack if: It’s a great pack if you like bowling! There are lots of color options for the items so you can create whatever type of bowling alley you want. The CAS offerings are also very good with only a few pieces being bowling-specific, so you will likely find yourself using them a lot.

9. Kids Room Stuff

Kids Room Stuff is a pack with furniture and gameplay specifically geared toward children, with new activities and content that gives your kids a lot more personality. It adds clothing that is better suited for ‘tweens as a lot of previous content was more for children on the younger end of the age scale, and includes a Tween Pop radio station. There’s a puppet theatre for kids to play and perform in, and a new Voidcritter gameplay mechanic where kids can collect, trade, train, and battle monster cards.

Why we think it’s great: Kids are one of the life stages that often get ignored, with some stuff packs having no new content for them at all! With this pack your children can adorn their walls with their favorite pop stars, have epic monster battles with their friends, and dress in a plethora of versatile new clothing. It gives them the attention they deserve.

It would be even better if: The biggest letdown of this pack is that the new gameplay items are exclusive to children. Your sim can’t battle Voidcritters with their teenage siblings or play puppets with their parents. Modders have fixed these problems, but if you play CC free you’re out of luck.

8. Toddler Stuff

Toddlers have been neglected even more than kids have, and in fact didn’t even exist when the sims 4 first launched! Toddler Stuff finally put the spotlight on our littlest sims with a slew of new CAS content, furniture, and play equipment that they can actually use. It also adds a “Play Date” event so your toddler sims can meet and befriend other sims their age.

Why we think it’s great: Since toddlers were such an afterthought for the Sims 4 at launch, they have very little to do in the game without this pack (or the Growing Together EP). Adding the new content gives you the means to take your toddlers to parks and actually have things they can play with, and the new objects also give options for toddlers to include teens or older relatives in their play.

It would be even better if: Disappointingly, this stuff pack doesn’t include any new toddler beds, potties, or high chairs, which it really should have had. Also, the ball pit texturing is absolutely terrible.

7. Movie Hangout Stuff

Movie Hangout Stuff is an older pack, but it has a lot of useful Buy/Build content and if you dig the hippie/boho vibe, you’ll really like this pack’s style. The main draws of this pack include the ability to watch and discuss movies, new huge-screen projector TVs, and a popcorn making machine.

Why we think it’s great: The ability to watch & discuss movies adds another layer of functionality to all TV screens, and there are films in all sorts of genres so there’s something for everyone to watch. Most of the Build/Buy content comes in a multitude of swatches including more subtle tones, making items like the curtains and plants very usable. The pack also includes a tree with lanterns which we think is a stand-out item that works in parks, wedding venues, gardens, even outdoor restaurants! While the main point of the pack isn’t the most novel idea there are a lot of items in it that you can use in all sorts of build and style types.

It would be even better if: Like the ice cream maker, the popcorn machine can get very annoying when your sims all prefer to make & eat popcorn instead of leftovers so we wish it was a less attractive item. There’s no option to have people over for a movie night without mods. The projectors fall a bit flat as they’re super pixelated without a mod fix, and the most ridiculous part is that the outdoor projector breaks in the rain! Thankfully modders have fixed that, too.

6. Spooky Stuff

We don’t know what it is, but Sims players seem to love spooky and halloween-themed items! This pack comes with costumes and makeup, a pumpkin carving station, spooky candy bowl, creepy light show, Spooky radio station, new recipes, and the ability to throw spooky themed parties.

Why we think it’s great: While not everybody is going to love spooky content, it seems to be popular for simmers, and this DLC adds so much in such a small package. You get CAS content, Buy/Build mode content, new food, new music, new activities, and overall it’s a really well-rounded pack. If Halloween is your thing you will definitely want this one.

It would be even better if: One thing the pack really lacks is the ability to trick-or-treat. It’s got everything you need to throw a party at your own lot, but if you want to go elsewhere you’re out of luck. The pack could have made other lots in your neighborhood interactable for this purpose, or even added a rabbit hole event. It would have been fun to have a haunted house attraction too, but you’ll need the High School Years expansion for that.

5. Laundry Day Stuff

A Stuff Pack about…laundry? Believe it or not, this stuff pack is about one of the most loathed household chores there is. But, for players who like their game to feel like real life, this pack adds a whole lot of realism to their sims’ lives and the nice thing about it is that you don’t get automatically stuck washing all of your sims’ clothes now. If you want the laundry mechanic active, you need to place items like hampers and washing equipment on the lot.

Why we think it’s great: We don’t love this pack so much for the laundry mechanic, but how well the elements of this pack work with players of all types. Players doing historical or generational games can follow the evolution of technology, going from wash bins and line drying to upgraded washers and dryers. It’s also perfect for sims in off-the-grid challenges that want to add a little more realism. The CAS content is more “lived in” and great if you don’t want every sim looking fresh-faced and perfectly-pressed all the time. The Buy/Build content vibes well with the styles of Cats & Dogs, Seasons, Parenthood, and even Cottage Living, and will blend seamlessly into builds using content from those other packs. And if you like chaos in your game, don’t empty the dryer lint tray!

It would be even better if: The dryer catches fire more often that we would like (though that can be fixed by upgrading it), and sims aren’t always the smartest when routing and carrying laundry. It would be better if we didn’t have to direct them step by step when using washing machines and dryers. Butlers from Vintage Glamour will do laundry but for some reason they won’t put it away, which is a shame.

4. Nifty Knitting

Nifty Knitting adds a new knitting skill, 2 new radio stations, rocking chairs, and the online marketplace Plopsy. Your sims can craft CAS and Buy Mode items that you can use in your own homes or sell for those sweet simoleans.

Why we think it’s great: This is another stuff pack that integrates super well with other DLC and that’s why we like it so much. In addition to your own knitting projects, you can sell pretty much any crafted item from any of the packs on Plopsy. The CAS items items go well with other pack styles like Cottage Living and Cats & Dogs, and the new rocking chairs fit in well in nurseries, on porches, and in the living room of every grandparent. This is one of only 2 DLCs that provide more than one new radio station. It’s also got a great loc hairstyle for sims of color, which we always need more of, and you can knit a onesie for infants who never seem to get enough attention by developers.

It would be even better if: This pack has several pieces of crafting furniture and decor and it’s a shame they’re just for looks. We could have had weaving, crochet, and needlepoint (introduced in Cottage Living instead) activities as well instead of focusing on just knitting. They could have added Cat’s Cradle as an activity sims could do together with yarn, too.

3. Crystal Creations

Put all of those crystals your sim has collected to good use! Sims can practice the Gemology Skill by carving crystals or making them into pieces of jewelry that they can wear, gift to others, or sell for profit. Different stones have different properties that can influence your sim if the jewel is charged under moonlight, and they can harvest rarer elements from the ethereal Crystal Tree.

Why we think it’s great: We can never have enough hobbies for our sims to dabble into, and it’s great that the various pieces of jewelry your sims can make can be worn together over multiple outfits. The aesthetic of this pack pairs nicely with Realm of Magic and the idea of using the moon to charge creations will fit in perfectly with Spellcasters, Werewolves, and even Vampires, while also making your sim very powerful if they combine the right jewelry pieces. Besides, our sims can never have enough accessories!

It would be even better if: In a way it feels like EA is cheating when they show off all of the new CAS pieces since many of them are locked behind Gemology crafting (and they don’t do the same thing for Buy/Build regarding new crystal carvings). In fact, far more than 3/4 of the items in CAS are locked this way, and of the items that are available immediately there are multiple hairstyles which are variations of one another. We know the whole point is to have your sims craft the items themselves, but we would have liked to see a few more pieces in CAS from the get-go.

2. Tiny Living Stuff

Tiny Living Stuff is all about making the most out of small spaces and features compact multipurpose furniture, cozy clothing, and perks for building in tinier and tinier homes.

Why we think it’s great: Tiny homes have been popular for a while, and sims players often do build challenges where they to fit as much stuff in as little space as they can. This stuff pack gives you what you need to make the most of smaller spaces, and lowered home footprints grant huge perks that affect bills, skills, relationships, and more. This concept marries well with Eco Lifestyle and combining lot perks with lot traits from that EP will make your sims super efficient and eco friendly. Combo items are also handy for sims just starting out with limited funds as they can get more bang for their buck.

It would be even better if: We do wish that the included Buy/Build content was in more than one style, as not every player or sim wants mid-century-esque vibes in their home. While we love the concept of the Murphy Bed, the one included is a bit too murderous and the frequency in which it kills sims is too high for a lot of players.

1. Paranormal Stuff

Here’s our number 1 pick! Sims can now communicate with mysterious spirits haunting their homes, befriend a ghostly guide, improve their medium skill and even turn it into a job, and encounter all sorts of supernatural mischief. We also finally see the return of the famous Bonehilda!

Why we think it’s great: We admit that this type of pack isn’t for every player and suits a niche that enjoys occult content, but it adds so much to the game that it deserves the top spot. There’s a new lot type, new skill, new career type that uses that skill, added game lore, and the CAS and Buy/Build content is not only some of the most nicely detailed stuff we’ve seen in the game in a long time, but it blends quite well with content from Strangerville and Decor to the Max as well. Overall it just adds so much to the game and if you’re into this kind of content you will be very pleased with this pack.

It would be even better if: This pack could have gone even further and added new types of spirits from different parts of the real world, or at the very least changed ghosts’ behavior to make them feel more separated from the living.