11.03.2023

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

Welcome back to Backed Hard, our monthly roundup of the best stuff our editors bought, loved, and put on our "certified awesome" lists. Our bounty this month runs an eclectic gamut of the delightfully stupid (cowboy boot Crocs) to the luxurious (silk-infused sweatpants) to the extremely practical (ear plugs that actually work), and we're spreading it out like a Souplantation buffet. Most importantly, we can tell you from personal experience that all of these products are well worth it.

Light up a pumpkin-spice candle, dim the lights, and let's unpack what VICE editors (actually) bought and loved this October.

EDITORS' PICK

WHISKER

Love Your Cat? Track Its Bathroom Schedule With This High-Tech Litter Box

Real talk, though—I have two cats, and I know that a lot of aspects of cat ownership can be very annoying. The Litter-Robot wants to address them. Its self-cleaning function sifts the litter and removes waste, which is honestly awesome, because scooping out your cat's pee pee and doo doo is a huge pain in the ass; and the "waste drawer" is sealed (and comes with the option of Litter-Robot's OdorTrap™ system), so your entire apartment doesn't reek next time your small teenage son decides to take a nuclear, passive-aggressive shit because you decided to enjoy your life by going to see the new four-hour-long Martin Scorsese film and grab a bite after. You know, hypothetically….

$699 at Whisker

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COLLECTION OF THE WEEK

I Tried a Bunch of Stress-Fighting Products to Manage Anxiety

Some of these are ASMR-inducing trinkets or calming mood lights; others are applications, scents, and fidget toys to help you unwind after a stressful day or banish the Sunday scaries. Plug in that salt lamp, and let's melt together this-a-way…