The Products VICE Readers Couldn't Get Enough Of in 2021

We’ve never met most of our readers IRL, but boy do we feel like we love you already. You have great taste, friends, as evidenced by the curated smorgasbord of luxury sex toys, excellent chefs knives, and Le Labo deodorant that graced your shopping carts in 2021. Perhaps it’s the glow of the holiday season that’s making us gush, or maybe it's that we feel genuinely thankful to you, dear readers, for letting us hold your hand as we trudge through the often-daunting world of online shopping together this past year. Either way, we’re happy you’re here, and we’re going to keep on importing truckloads of deals, drops, and dope products for you until our keyboards turn to dust.

In 2021, you took our advice when it (and you) came to clitoral vibes; you let us point you in all of the right directions when it came to booze, kitchenwares, and self-care; and you didn’t blink when we told you that you should cop mellow CBD bud that doesn’t put you out for the count. For that, we thank you. In the spirit of closing out the year, we bring you your 2021 shopping year in review. These were the absolute bestsellers that VICE readers couldn't get enough of, from masks to mushroom nightlights. Enjoy, and catch you in 2022.

There’s a reason this clitoral vibrator has staying power. A few, actually. Not only is the Satisfyer Pro 2 a quiet clitoral-pleasing toy that feels like getting real oral, but it has a deep-set suction element that sits gently on the clitoris and sends fluttering, pulsing waves that stimulate you like, well, a pro. “That’s because the ample suction area is key to the Air Pulse technology,” writes Mary Frances Knapp in her review of the vibe for VICE, “Think of it as the difference between yodeling against a brick wall, and yodeling into a sparkling, amethyst cavern. Of course the latter resonates better, deeper.” Thousands of happy VICE readers agree! 

Our readers dove into Dad Grass with fervor, in search of a soothing, smokable hemp that provides the laid-back feeling of hitting a joint without the risk of getting too high and having a meltdown about your dead pets. It's perfect for puffing on while spinning your favorite yacht rock records, hitting at the park in between sips of natty wine, and still being able to drive home from the party. 

This wand is the one we would like to take the desert island, please, for it’s not only a stories squirter tool (so the legends say) but doesn’t require batteries, is easy to clean, ready for temperature play, and looks like it fell out of an agent’s briefcase from the Matrix. The readers who are ready for sex-future-magic added to cart like crazy. 

This year, our vax card became our loyal companion to the bar, the airport, and just about everywhere else we daydreamed about in 2020, which is why it became essential to protect it from rips, smears, and splashes of Bloody Mary mix. When we ran down the best vax card holders, our readers played faves with these rad oilcloth cases, which are colorful, handy, and dare we say… fun?

Men's deodorants really run the spectrum from overly bro-y "smells like Girls Gone Wild-era Joe Francis" sprays to the increasingly popular "earthy coconut oil stick that probably does nothing," and finding the best deo can be tricky because the options are so vast. But when we rolled up our sleeves and rounded up the best men's deodorants, Le Labo's was one that reigned supreme, thanks to its luxe-smelling scent, aluminum-free formula, and great protection. 

Every once in a while, a magical thing happens wherein you stumble across an awesome product and then find out it has a crazy cult following, instead og the other way around. Such is the case with the Stradivarius Slim Mom Jeans, which one of our editors purchased when seeking out a more modern alternative to skinny jeans and then discovered are a smash with TikTokers for their form-fitting but not skintight cut, ample stretch, and sturdy denim that tucks everything in while feeling as comfy as a pair of sweats. They're truly great jeans, and for only 32 bucks, readers were more than ready to give 'em a shot. 

There are many different face masks out there, but KN95s have proven to be one of the most effective for protecting against the transmission of COVID-19. Plus, the black ones make us feel like a space cadet. When Delta came around and we realized that masked times weren't over, we turned to Bona Fide's affordable, protective masks as some of the best. 

This affordable Theragun alternative

In an honest review of the Olsky for VICE, Ian Burke found that the massager, which is a much storied Thergun alternative, took all of his post-workout, muscle-aching woes to Pound Town for a fraction of the cost of a Theragun. Readers with sore muscles have been delighted by its limb-kneading powers. 

Abercrombie & Fitch reigned over 2000s fashion, and now the iconic brand has received a 2021 re-zhuzh worthy of Tony Soprano with chic bowling button-downs, faux leather dusters, and more wardrobe staples that feel both authentic to the brand as a heritage line, inclusive, and Guy Feiri-adjacent. What more can a gabagool-loving hot young thing want?  

At this point, every Rec Room staff member and their mother (well, at least one) is singing the praises of the Imarku chef’s knife, because it’s an affordable, sharper-than-Catholic-guilt blade that slices and dices everything from meats to veggies and more with perfection. A great chef’s knife can cost under a hundred bucks, and this masterpiece is proof.  

Everyone loves Dolly Parton, everyone loves salty French butter, and everyone loves this shiatsu deep-tissue neck massager. It is the perfect gift for moms and dads, or doms and friends; awkward family relatives who still need a present, and everyone in-between—which is why it's been a staple of our gift guides and a top seller.

Mushroom lamps for mid-century modern dreams

It’s the age of the mushroom, goblin babes. Whether you’re on the cottagecore path to sprout your own spores or looking for 1970s-inspired futuristic decor, this mushroom lamp by West Elm—which looks just as chic turned-off—was one of your favorite home finds.

A coffee alternative we really look forward to

Can’t drink coffee anymore, but miss the ritual of it all? MUD\WTR (pronounced “mud water”) is the viral coffee alternative that comes pretty damn close to the real thing, according to our colleague Jamie Steidle’s review for VICE. “My daily routine needed something to fill that great big coffee-less void in the morning and in my life,” he explains, “After getting into the flow of making MUD\WTR, and after finding out my preferences, I enjoyed it–especially since one-seventh the caffeine of coffee is apparently my sweet spot for morning energy-beverage consumption.” Jitters-prone readers agreed! 

This monster jam combo-orgasm vibrator

LELO are the luxury Swedish sex toy makers of our dreams, and their combination G-spot, clitoral vibrator is here to do the full-service combined orgasm work for you. “As one might expect, the combo of internal vibration and clitoral sonic massage is pretty damn mind-blowing,” writes Angel Kilmesiter in a review of the Enigma for VICE, “The Enigma [feels like] both an investment and a treat, one that makes masturbation feel spa-like, extraterrestrial, and, at the same, like oral sex with a familiar, skilled partner.” It's an investment, but what's worth investing in more than killer orgasms?

And finally, the chicken bag

“I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BAG. he is the love of my LIFE,” wrote one follower/customer of this… purse? Redeemer? A crossbody bag by any other name would be as sweet. Indeed, an internet cult has been forming around this chicken bag for some time now. Join us, won’t you? 

Thanks for coming by the coop. See you next year!  

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story.