Backed Hard: The Best Stuff We (Actually) Bought in July

It’s that time of the month again: We’re collating, collecting, and IDing all the best damn products our staff loves (wait, what did you think we were talking about?). With July in the rearview mirror, we’re shocked that the final full month of summer is upon us, but we’re swimming in too much top-tier gear to be too upset. 

While we weren’t busy ridding our apartments of unwanted insects and fighting off whatever we picked up on our epic European getaway, we were having the time of our lives doing—what else—shopping. This month, we got our mitts on a Lego set designed to showcase on your coffee table, a spherical salt cellar for the perfect al dente pasta, a rug inspired by the Barbie movie, and other buzzworthy products too hawt to put into words. Make your August a bit more bearable by making our past wish list your present-day reality.

Dollar store thong sandals are kind of cringe to me, so having a pair of sporty slides from Adidas makes going to the beach or pool a little bit more bearable. Besides, the fewer of my stompers I expose the better; I don’t want to give anyone the chance to score free pics! —Nicolette Accardi  

A Barbie movie-inspired rug wasn’t on my 2023 home decor bingo card, but here we are. Ruggable collaborated with the film on a capsule collection of rugs, and this postmodern piece from the collection made me do a double-take; it looked like a floor-bound James Turrell, or the kind of floor jawn you would normally find in the MoMA Design Store. —Mary Frances “Francky” Knapp

Don’t get me wrong, I love summer. As a prolific griller and chiller, this is easily one of the best times of the year in my humble opinion. That said, summer is also prime time for bugs—especially (at least here in Austin, TX) red wasps. While several members of the team here at VICE have been dealing with their own insect issues, my personal hell has been dodging small clusters of red wasps that have sadly made a home on the outdoor stairs that lead directly to my front door. While we’ve been holding out for our building to send an exterminator, I’ve been doing my best Terminator impression with this foaming wasp spray. With a 20-inch stream, it’s the perfect thing for blasting wasps and wasp nests into oblivion (without actually getting anywhere near something with a stinger on its ass). —Gregory Babcock

If you’re asking me, building a Lego is the ultimate stress reliever, and it certainly doesn’t hurt when my minor construction project makes an epic decor piece. This model showcases the beautiful Singapore Skyline for under $60, which is pretty good given how expensive sets from its architecture collection can be. —Nicolette Accardi 

Salt is important. We know this. Still, people rarely give it the respect it deserves, keeping it in lame shakers or grinders, or just letting it sit in the box on a shelf in the pantry. But if you cook regularly, you need something that’s handy, looks neat, and is easy to access. Material’s new wooden Salt Sphere (part of Material Object, the brand’s small batch collection) is stylish and rustic, using a magnetic swivel lid so your salt can stay concealed (but is still super easy to grab when you need it). Plus, there’s a little base that it rests on that can hold another spice—for me, that’s going to be smoked salt, but you could keep Maldon flakes, ground pepper, sugar, T-Pain wing spice, Moon Juice sex dust, or just some drugs. The possibilities are endless. —Adam Rothbarth

Listen, COVID-19 is still out there being a little asshole, and when I couldn’t keep down food (or even medicine) during my recent ‘rona experience, I used this ice-cold face mask to stave off headaches. I wrote about TheraICE Rx’s slab of sweet relief as a hangover aid in this VICE review, but now I appreciate it even more post-sickness. I just ordered another to keep two in constant rotation, because the glacial temps last for about 20 minutes when this sucker is right out of the freezer. —Mary Frances “Francky” Knapp

Despite how hot it is here in Texas (I challenge anyone to try living in a place where the average high temperature is north of 100 degrees Fahrenheit this time of year), I try to make sure I spend as much time outdoors as I can physically stand. In that spirit, I’ve recently reconnected with basketball, shooting hoops as a form of exercise that I actually enjoy. When I started hooping at the beginning of the month, I was wearing a well-worn pair of Air Force 1s. While I definitely love that shoe (and it’s technically a basketball shoe), I definitely needed something that was a little more 21st-century. This model from Giannis Antetokounmpo’s signature line is lightweight and responsive enough to help me complete my daily shooting drills. At under $75, it’s also the perfect price for a casual player like me. —Gregory Babcock

I absolutely adore disco decor, and these string lights from Free People feed on that obsession (I love self-enabling)! They’re a game-changer when it comes to elevating my abode, thanks in no small part to the sparkling vibes that make me want to bust a move. —Nicolette Accardi 

In my household, we love Falcon enamelware. Whether I’m dishing out fried green tomatoes, cooking up a big ol’ mac and cheese, or serving some Chinese food we whipped up for dinner, the English brand always has a piece that’s right for the occasion. That said, I recently had a reckoning with the fact that my prep situation was weak as hell—I was still using a lame, grocery store metal bowl set I’d had for a decade, and was relying on a colander that was lovingly passed down from my mother (meaning it was probably made in the 60s, and one of its legs was bent, so it couldn’t even stand up straight anymore). So I scored Falcon’s Prep Set, which includes five different mixing bowls and a handsome colander that matches. I know it sounds weird, but I firmly believe that using cookware that you think looks cool is important for your confidence in the kitchen—so by that standard, with this new set, consider me Miles Davis! —Adam Rothbarth

I have been a fan of Moon Juice’s woo-woo wellness offerings ever since I downed a bunch of its Sex Dust for this VICE review, and felt both hornier and more… inspired? Relaxed? The list goes on. Whether it's the placebo effect or the power of Ma Nature’s herbs, I ride for the wizards behind this brand’s ambrosia, and right now I’m pounding down its Magnesi-Om powder. As someone with low iron levels who faints a lot, I like that the supplement powder contains not only magnesium (good for your bones), but also ashwagandha, which has been used for centuries in traditional Ayurvedic medicines to help relieve stress and promote relaxation. Plus, the slightly tart powder doesn’t include any sugar, and is sweetened with monk fruit and lemon. Every time I have a glass I feel like a Neopet. —Mary Frances “Francky” Knapp

If you’ve yet to watch Jury Duty—The Truman Show-esque “reality show” about fulfilling one’s civic duty—you are seriously missing out. The show is full of laughs and insane gags, one of which (spoiler alert) is the ”chants” (aka chair pants) that one of the “jurors” invented and wears to court. My mom recently surprised me with this T-shirt and when it showed up at my door I cackled. —Becca Blasdel

Now, if you don’t mind, we have some more shopping to tend to.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.