While May is an apt time to shop Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned businesses, it’s essential to support them all year round. Plus, with all the unique food and drink sellers, designer furniture retailers, best-selling bedding establishments, and more AAPI-owned brands floating around the internet, spending a little cash has never been easier (or more worthwhile).
Ahead, we found nine AAPI-owned businesses that deserve to be on your radar. From Verloop’s funky coasters to Free AF‘s non-alcoholic beverages, Materials‘ kitchen essentials to Omsom‘s saucy bundles, and more — the following brands go above and beyond in the home space. Scroll on, mosey on through a few marvelous inventories, and score some coveted AAPI-owned home goods you never knew you needed.
Squiggle Coaster Set, $26
Home to both effervescent home decor and equally bright and kooky knitwear, Verloop’s site is hypnotizing to say the least — just a few clicks on its tabs and you’ll be perusing colorful swatches for hours. With the slogan “More color less waste,” founder Ella Lim built her brand with sustainability, function, and of course, fun at the forefront. Add a few products to your cart and enjoy high-quality knits spun from repurposed would-be waste yarn.
Shop Verloop
DashDividers_1_500x100Asian Pantry Favorites Gift Set, $65.99
Our love for Umami Cart is almost as big as its mouth-watering inventory. When we’re not ogling the brand’s vibrant website design, we’re eagerly scouting out authentic Asian snacks, ingredients, condiments, and other culinary delights for our pantries. Founder Andrea Yen’s vision came to life back in 2021 and now continues to deliver hundreds of carefully curated food staples across America.
Shop Umami Cart
DashDividers_1_500x100AiryWeight Eucalyptus Sheet Set, $110 $99
Not only is Sijo Home Refinery29 editor-approved, its cooling eucalyptus bedding is also sweaty sleeper-approved — according to the bevy of positive on-site reviews, that is. One happy customer says they’re “a cooling dream.” She writes, “My airy weight eucalyptus sheets are amazingly cool and cozy. On the hot Georgia days, I never want to leave them!”
Per Sijo’s About Us page, founders Anni Stromfield and Jacob Xi believe in intentional decisions all the way down “to the pillows we lay our heads on at night.” Sijo — named after a form of poetry — and its inventive, eco-consciousness threads were born.
Shop Sijo
DashDividers_1_500x100You can find founder Lisa King’s tasty alcohol-free beverages on the brand’s main site as well as Amazon. Each is made from botanical extracts that, according to Free AF representatives, “mimics the pleasant warmth of drinking alcohol—without the alcohol.” So, all sober-for-the-summer people rejoice. Thanks to this AAPI-owned brand’s bubbles — Aperol Spritzes, Palomas, Cuba Libres, and more mocktails — you’ll be refreshed all summer long.
Shop Free AF
DashDividers_1_500x100The Iconics, $275
Friends and founders Eunice and Dave founded Material with a mission to create beautiful, useful items for the kitchen inspired by their respective Korean and Vietnamese heritages. From iconic utensils to gorgeous copper cookware — score a few Material finds for your kitchen and watch your space transform.
Shop Material
DashDividers_1_500x100Cozyleigh Studios Zen Table Light, $248
Tech and lifestyle influencer Maisy Leigh just recently collaborated with AAPI-owned premium lighting retailer Gantri. The collection features traditional Asian design elements mixed with a sleek, modern silhouette that easily adds a relaxing ambiance wherever you place it. Founder Ian Yang prioritizes creator empowerment with his business in order to highlight talents like Maisy Leigh and manufacture innovative, never-before-seen products.
Shop Gantri
DashDividers_1_500x100The Omsom Sauce Bundle, $64 $59
Founders and sister Vanessa and Kim Pham named their joyous and rowdy food brand after the Vietnamese word Om Sòm meaning noisy, rambunctious, and riotous. All it takes is one click on Omsom’s site to understand why they did so. The sisters’ “proud, loud Asian flavors” are certified Refinery29 reader-favorites — especially their spicy, appetizing sauce samplers.
DashDividers_1_500x100The Essential Loveseat Sectional, $1,545
For high-quality, luxury, and sustainable furniture minus the usual green-washing or any toxic chemicals, head to Sabai Design. Each piece — whether it’s the retailer’s cushy couches or new stylish rugs — is crafted in ethically run factories based in America. Business partners Phantila Phataraprasit and Caitlin Ellen made sure of this when building their top-notch direct-to-consumer company from the ground up.
DashDividers_1_500x100At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy or click on something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
For more can’t-miss shopping stories delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our Most Wanted newsletter.
