The Best Gifts for Deadheads (Other Than a Grilled Cheese)

We have very few rules in this house, but we do believe in 1) the supremacy of the Dick’s Picks: Volume 12 recording of “China Cat Sunflower,” and that 2) Jerry is our Jesus, our guiding headlight on a northbound train and eternal standard for churning out immaculate, buttery vibes. Truth be told, shopping for Deadheads really fun, and potentially overwhelming for anyone who doesn’t have opinions on the outfit choices of Go to Heaven.  

But that’s why we’re here, buddy. We pulled up in this 1961 Chevrolet Corvair to help you shop for the best Grateful Dead gifts that aren’t lame or overdone, and that will actually make the Deadhead in your life think, “Damn. I thought Skyler was a suit, but he really gets me.” 

When shopping for your precious Deadhead, it helps to hone in on what kind of Deadhead you’re dealing with. Is your giftee obsessed with cooking, or sleeping, or microdosing mushrooms? (Or maybe all three?) Is your Deadhead forced to work a corporate 9-to-5 (booo) and deserving of a little sartorial swag that says, “I’d rather be truckin’”? Think about it. Only then, once you’ve separated your golden eggs from your yuppie yolks, can you begin the soul-enriching journey that is spoiling a Deadhead this holiday season. We’d do it ourselves, but as Deadheads we don’t believe in bank accounts. 

Whip out that Amex, and let’s let the good times ripple. 

A hungry Deadhead is pretty much all Deadheads [coughs in cursive] and VICE’s in-house Deadheads/editors are big fans of Hedley & Bennett’s apron collaboration with the Grateful Dead. The brand makes some of the most durable kitchen wares out there, and its dancing bear apron feels soft, sturdy, and comes with plenty of pockets for stashing space cakes.  

Well. Aren’t you fancy. Vosges’ haut chocolates are always memorable, because every drop has so much design swag and curation. The dancing bears in space bar would make for a perfect stocking stuffer/white elephant gift, while the astral truffle assortment—which comes with a limited edition patch—takes inspiration from the magical musical flavors of the Dead, with chocolates such as the “Dusty Delilah” (Reishi mushrooms, rum, coconut, raspberry, and dark chocolate) and the the “Scarlett Violet” (dark chocolate, Mediterranean olive oil, crème de violette, and St. Germain Liquor with crystalized violet flowers). It’s enough to transport their taste buds to Terrapin Station. 

Your Deadhead might already be growing mushrooms, if not microdosing them—so gift them the ability to grow some (non-psychedelic) shroomies with this mini oyster mushroom grow kit from Back to the Roots. The highly rated kit has over 24,900 reviews on Amazon. As one fan writes, “They really do honor that part of the description ‘GUARANTEED TO GROW.’” 

Jerry was a Leo, so we like to think he would have appreciated the thrill of hitting the slopes in psychedelic ski gear and dancing bear snowshoes. Don’t forget to bring this Grateful Dead Igloo cooler along (perfect for carrying Electric Kool-Aid). 

Does your Deadhead have a real big daddy job? Good for them. (It’ll bankroll the commune later). In the meantime, give them one of Nixon’s slick Grateful Dead watches to help them run on Jerry Time, even in the most corporate of places. 

Look, your pal already has a million dancing bear T-shirts. But they might not have this absolutely coked-out high-flying tie dye skeleton “Powderman” ‘fit.

Generally, Deadheads hate Shoe Jail (housing your dogs??? booo), however, Deadheads = Crocs stans. The iconic 2000s shoe has a perforated nature, which helps give your toes more breathing room/freedom, and the Chinatown Market’s Grateful Dead collaboration with Crocs comes in a Candyman-worthy tie dye colorway with hella Jibbitz (the hacky sacks of shoes).   

Joya Studio is the Brooklyn-based candle brand that has been collaborating with the likes of A24 (remember its Everything Everywhere All at Once butt plug candle?) recently, so you already know that its take on Dead kultür is going to be unique. Gift your Grateful giftee the sculptural bear candle—which would look great by this record player—or the hand-poured “Arose” candle, which features original artwork by Ruben Perez and contains notes of Moroccan rose, patchouli, pine, sandalwood, orange terpenes, honey, nutmeg, and just a kiss of tonka and vanilla beans (in other words, every Deadhead we’ve ever made out with). 

… Is every Deadhead. You would be hard pressed to find any of them out of bed before noon, which is why they’ll appreciate this cozy collaboration the Dead did with Parks Project, an environmentally minded apparel brand that has logged over 5,522 volunteer hours and hosted over 86 volunteer days in US parks. Jerry would approve. 

Because even your Deadhead’s grow room deserves to be decked-out for the holidays, and everybody loves adult LEGOs.

Happy holidays [rips bong]. 

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.