What VICE Readers Bought This Month: New Balances and Noguchi-Style Lamps

August goes hard, no question about it. Love the heat? Great, because it’s still here. Eager for fall? Don’t worry, the [redacted] spice lattes are en route. Summer’s swan song month has something for everyone, whether they’re posted up with a beer koozie in Lake Tahoe or sliding a Hocus Pocus VHS into the old Panasonic TV. 

There were also plenty of roaring sales befitting of Leo season this month, from Le Creuset deals to discounts on luxury sex toys. In July, VICE readers bought Togo sofa dupes, Tenga’s male masturbator, and a super handy pocket knife. This month, y’all showed that you have style and taste by saving big on heritage cookware, clever kitchen tools, and the best jawns and designer decor from the almighty SSENSE sale. We’re still pining after this FROW-ready fried egg purse, but we digress. 

Here’s everything VICE readers bought during the month of August, from high-rated bamboo sheets to Japanese-inspired lamps. 

We always make it to church (the SSENSE sale) on time (doomscrolling at 1 a.m.), and so did y’all during the month of August. The savings at SSENSE were off the tweed Thom Brown bag-chain this year during the site’s big sale, but the most popular items that VICE readers bought included Levi’s 501s for hitting the pumpkin patch and a seafood-inspired candle that pays homage to our favorite summer snack: shrimp.  

Next to a KitchenAid stand mixer or this Brutalist De'Longhi espresso machine from SSENSE (did we stutter?), there are few kitchen flexes like a Le Creuset pan. VICE readers ate up the heritage French cookware brand’s factory sale this year, and copped the classic stockpot with a glass lid for all of your canning, stewing, and brewing needs. 

Still caressing your boo’s face with onion-scented fingers? Shrek roleplay aside, that sucks. VICE readers agreed, and copped this TikTok-viral vegetable chopper at 40% off for breezing through meal prep. It has a 4.6-star average rating on Amazon from over 65,000 reviews, with one fan writing, “This thing is SO easy to use [...] I find myself eating more vegetables now because I don’t dread having to dice and chop by hand.” 

VICE writer Adam Rothbarth recently wrote an ode to the New Balance 990s, the GOATed normcore shoe for the Larry Davids and Ultraman competitors among us. As Rothbarth writes in his VICE review, “I love how thick the heel generally feels, which makes me feel more confident when moving; but it’s also light, not clunky like other larger shoes can be.” You couldn’t resist having a spring in your step either, could you? 

The key to creating a relaxing, gauzy ambiance in your apartment is to buy a lamp that gives off a relaxing, gauzy glow. The late Isamu Noguchi was bar none in that department with his iconic rice paper light sculptures, and y’all took notes from the artist’s signature designs by bringing home this affordable option inspired by his aesthetic. Pair it with a wool throw and a few TASCHEN art books, and you’re ready for cozy season.  

Listen, our idea of romance is getting railed in the ass and going out for some Junior’s Cheesecake, and, as it turns out, so is yours. Anal August was full of backdoor deals from our favorite sexual wellness site, but most of all, VICE readers smashed the order button in this remote-controlled prostate massager from LELO and a pair of high-rated, glass anal training plugs on Amazon. 

If you’re looking for new sheets that are silky-soft but still cooling, bamboo is for you. As Angel Kilmister writes in this VICE article, bamboo sheets really are the best inter-seasonal bedding for sleeping like a temperature-regulated, unbothered prince. Plus, as she writes, “Bamboo sheets don’t absorb oils from your skin, so they resist discoloration for years longer than cotton sheets; this comes in clutch if you’re the sweaty type.” VICE readers heeded Kilmister’s advice by bringing home these high-rated, organic bamboo sheets from the direct-to-consumer luxury brand Quince. Not only did they win "Best Bamboo Sheets'' from SleepFoundation.org, but they come in a variety of calming colorways, including “sand” and “eucalyptus.” 

Tired? Standard, forgettable fridges. Wired? Custom refrigerators that pull their aesthetic weight in the home. In her honest VICE review of Samsung’s Bespoke 4-door Flex fridge, VICE shopping’s director Hilary Pollack explained how thrilling it was to own a fridge that not only looks sleek in her apartment, but has ample space for a well-stocked “Beverage Center,” custom auto-refilling water abilities, two kinds of ice makers, and app-enabled controls for adjusting fridge temps from anywhere in the world. Y’all took the plunge, and upgraded your kitchens with the futuristic appliance as well.  

Have a nice trip, see you this fall. 

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.