Welcome back to Backed Hard, our monthly cornucopia of the best stuff your trusted Rec Room staff tried, loved, and now wish to evangelize. It's been a rollercoaster of an April, filled with showers (except in LA where we bask in sun and smog every day), weed (happy belated 4/20), and Way Day deals (we love going deep into the caverns of Wayfair and emerging with statement decor, shag rugs, and fancy floor lamps). We apologize for the N*SYNC song that this will trigger inside your vacant skull, but in just a few days, it's gonna be May. That means one thing: It's time for us to take a crab-walk down memory lane and reflect on our most worth-it purchases of the month, because they improved our lives so thoroughly that we can't help but sing their praises.
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Last month, we yapped your ears off about how stoked we were to stroll around in our platform Crocs, swaddle ourselves in the ultimate dad bathrobe, and ecstatically snack on Sichuan-spiced smoked salmon. This month, we're celebrating the oatmeal that gets us out of bed in the morning, the Ukrainian dumpling art that graces our walls, and a tool for getting all of the nasty earwax off of our AirPods. Read on for our editors' picks for the best products we tried and loved in April 2022.I’m a sucker for Vietnamese coffee prepared in a phin, or a metal filter—especially when there are robusta beans involved, which tend to have a higher caffeine content and a bold, unique flavor despite being maligned by the majority of the coffee industry as “inferior” beans. Nam Coffee, an immigrant-founded and -led company that launched earlier this year, recently dropped its Orange County blend, a 30/70 split of robusta and arabica beans, which is perfect for anyone looking for high-strength, yet approachable, coffee. This stuff is incredibly drinkable for being such an assertive coffee, with delicate notes of lemon peel, nuts, and dark chocolate. —Ian BurkeI feel like the MOFO Venus de Milo when I emerge from these bedsheets in the morning, because they have the luxurious sheen of a rich, illegally harvested saltwater pearl, and the silky texture of a pampered baby seal—which makes sense, given that they come from Quince, which specializes in finding out where some of the best luxury brands and hotels source their products, and sells their nearly-identical dupes to us humble plebs for less. The organic bamboo material in this sheet set is not only naturally cooling, but one the planet's most resource-efficient materials for bedding, according to the Quince Queens, so you know you’re doing right by not only your pores, but by Mama Earth. —Mary Frances Knapp
Nam Coffee’s roasty Orange County blend
Sheets that make you feel naughty (in a good way)
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Ooni's idiot-proof pizza oven
A Hagibis Cleaning Pen for de-gunking your AirPods
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For jokers, tokers, and midnight smokers
Seriously tasty Power Crunch protein bars
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Pre-framed Ukrainian art
A magnetic power bank
An Instagram-famous lipstick that's worth the hype
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Studio Null’s Prickly Red non-alcoholic wine
A serotonin-boosting Topshop jacket
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Skincare for mushrooms hos
Adidas's Adizero Boston 10 running sneakers
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Matcha-flavored oatmeal for a morning boost
Vitamin-packed eye cream for bag-free eyes
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Kinfield’s great-smelling Golden Hour bug spray
Candlesticks for Victorian vibes
Tower28's summer-saving Tinted Sunscreen Foundation
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.