This is our go-to REI location. We shop both her and at LL Bean pretty equally and I don't really find I have a preference. This store is a little on the small size compared to other locations I've been to, but service is always friendly and helpful and they rarely don't have what we're looking for. Parking can be a little tight with the gym next store, but that's no fault of the store or employees. read more

Its a long set up but its a good story if you read my reviews you know you get these sometimes enjoy or skip it to the review enjoy the read yall Hello guys( this also refers to you ladies as well) doing my review on REI. I been to a lot of outdoors stores growing up in Texas. In Texas we have Academy, Dicks(sometimes you get a good deal) and what I deem the best outdoor store Bass Pro Shop. The best one I been to is in San Antonio Tx (1604 area??) So naturally I would go to these type of stores since that's all I knew. I was at work and its my first snow storm I freaked out driving in the snow is the worse yall DMV people just drive like it's sunny outside. I tried to call out cause of the snow my boss said to me. "so your just going to be running late" I said. "No sir, I have no road.. like the snow is that deep" he laughs at me and says. "Oh I forgot you just moved up here. Listen son this is what I do for you.. are you listening." I smile in my head and say. "yes Sir I'm listening" he says this. "Son I let you.. and I don't do this for just anybody. This is your first snow storm, Son I'm going to let you come into work today. I'll see you in an hour bye Derek" hangs up the phone. I finally get to work and Its just "D" there by himself during our morning rush.(you government workers have no patience especially when it's one person doing all the cooking) anyways I see "D" there he still has his coat and snow boots on. He got me up on speed, I'm getting ready to cook now. he goes in the back to change. I'm looking at all the customers and everyone has on North Face coat. long story short I get home and do my research and type in north face seen a store called Garner Mountain that had them but was to far. I seen this other store called REI which was closer to me I decided to go here just cause it was new and wanted to see what it had in it. My Review thank you for reading or hello stranger! Oh okay I give this place five stars cause its amazing place I been to so far as far as outdoor stores. I tried the other stores and even brought their products due to it being cheaper than REI.(I don't know bout you but I cant leave it lowercase I have to use the caps when I type REI) I was going camping and went here to buy a tent, and gear for hiking( went to Shenandoah National Park review coming soon) I will never cheat on REI ever again the sleeping bags I got from I wont say the name but "GM" they were not as great as the ones at REI were. Oh the service was great the guy I talked to helped and even said some of their items could be brought else where( is that right? where were ware). I didn't buy the sleeping bags here but I wish I did. the quality of this brand is fantastic. I like how everything looks and feel. everyone was helpful and knew a lot about the outdoors each store is different. my next thing I'm planning to get is skis and rock climbing gear. its pricey but worth the money trust me my sleeping bag didn't do nothing for me I was cold the whole night read more

This is not the best REI I have been too, nor is it the worst. It is just A-OK.

I love REI. I hate REI prices. Hasn't seemed to stop me from going there though. It's like instant nirvana seeing all of the outdoor goods for EVERYTHING. read more

REI has the best service ever!!! All the staffs answers all my questions from bikes, to watches to tents. read more

I went here one evening recently to buy some winter gear. I was in the store over 20 minutes. I walked around through the entire store, stopped To look at things and even tried on a few coats. I literally passed about 4-5 sale associate/employees and not a single one ever assisted me, talked to me or even acknowledged my presence! And it's not like they didn't see me. One employee was talking to a security guy and literally bumped into me and didn't apologized or asked if I needed any help. And just to be sure (which I already was) I exited the store by walking by the checkout very slowly. 2 employees were behind the counter talking to each other. Neither offer to help or said bye. I was so annoyed and honestly felt INVISIBLE. What a horrible feeling and service. There is only one star because I had a great convo with another customer and I gave him feedback on pants he tried on. Guess I'll go check out The North Face instead read more

Great store. The staff are extremely helpful and not pushy, I bought a road bike and had them build a custom set of wheels. And I love the member dividends! read more

I've only had great experiences at the REIs in Seattle and Las Vegas, so the lackluster reviews for the DC-area stores kind of surprised me. But I'm glad to say that I had another great experience at the REI at Bailey's Crossroads. I went in to buy a backpack for an upcoming trip. The store was really busy with last-minute Christmas shoppers, so even though I had to wait a while for an associate to help me, I didn't mind because I could tell the reason it was taking so long was because the associates were giving each customer their full attention. When I finally did grab an associate, he spent at least 45 minutes (probably more) fitting me for a pack and helping me understand how a good pack should fit. He was really knowledgeable and patient, and I left feeling great about my purchase. read more

Its a cool store ive used my whole life. Beautiful and all. But i feel the items are severely overpriced so i go to dicks sporting goods.

I have a pair of Keen shoes from REI that were given to me by my brother. After not wearing them much a sole of one shoe fell off -- came un-glued. REI states that they have a 100% return policy but it has conditions (need to have a receipt), so since we do not have a receipt they would not repair or replace the failed shoe. I feel that this is less than a 100% return policy. I suggest that you do not shop at REI and buy your shoes/clothing at a store such as Lands End where they do have a genuine 100% return policy and if you do want to return a Lands End web bought product to a brick&motar store take it to Sears. Sears will work with you. Hey with stores treating customers better than REI does I guess REI will not be around too much longer whereby their return policy will then be 0% - even if you have a receipt. read more

My wife and I visited REI for the first time today to buy her a pair of women's hiking shoes. Her salesman George made this the best retail experience we've had in a long time. He was patient, knowledgeable, and went every extra mile to be helpful, including finding my wife a shorter set of laces for the shoes she selected and replacing the laces himself. When other customers came into the department, he balanced his time among all of us; we never felt ignored. What a great world this would be if everyone excelled at his work as George does. read more

UPDATE: I was excited to hear from REI Online Customer Service!! They conveyed they can't help me, see below: Greetings,Thank you for emailing REI. Per Karas words, you email as passed along for further review. For your encounter, it would be best to talk with the store manager. We can not speak for the stores, and how they handle the returns and exchanges. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Jessica REI Online Customer Service read more

Great selection. I just love outdoor and hiking, a bit expensive though and they don't have a free climbing wall

Anybody who knows me understands my newfound respect for the outdoors is heavily influenced by my SO. I find "gear" a little intimidating, and I'm one of those girls who will go camping but doesn't take the lead to make a list of everything we need for survival. I've made a few visits to REI over the years, to buy my first hiking boots, and a mosquito-repellant fishing hat for my dad, but this time it was in preparation for my trip to China. Word is that they don't have dryers so I got a 6 ft. twisty clothesline for my hotel room ($6.50). They also have belts and neck pouches to keep your money and documents safe, as well as power converters and adapters. I wanted to find quick-drying pants that didn't look too rugged, but no such luck. Their clearance items were scattered throughout the store and I couldn't bring myself to spend that much on clothes when I am not committed to enjoying the outdoors on a daily basis. The size of this location was a lot smaller than the ones on the west coast, and it wasn't clearly marked from the main road. It's around the corner from a party superstore and directly across from the Target on Rt. 7. read more

There is no reason why an outdoor store wouldn't allow dog owners to bring their dogs into the store while they shop. I choose to frequent dog friendly establishments. Hudson Trail Outfitters is dog friendly. Shop there instead. read more

This store is piece of shit. Customer service is really terrible, and the most customers all look very very pissed off. Whenever you go into a store, you can immediately sense the atmosphere either it is friendly or hostile by looking at the customers. All the customers looked nervous, and not very pleasant because sales folks make that kind of atmosphere. I was just there to bring them business, not to play along their little bee a chi ass hard ball to catch, days of our lives drama fucking bo shit. Real piece of shit store. Every time I go in there, it has that vibe of pissed off middle class folks. Especially the cashiers are the worst. I am telling ya. read more

ive been an rei member for over 25 years and have shopped at stores in several states. east and west coast and in between this store has the worst customer service i have ever seen. i will still love rei, but not this store. i will never go there again read more

This is a great REI. It has a sizable ski/snowboard shop area during the winters, for the area. Unlike Dicks or Sports Authority the people actually know what they are selling and will not try to get you to buy the most expensive thing. What is also great about REI is that you can order anything on their online stores (outlet or regular) and then have it shipped here free. This particular REI has a really good selection of outdoor clothing, shoes, camping, dog, and climbing gear.They do have higher end stuff for the more experienced but also have middle of the road items for the weekender or recreational skier/snowboarder/outdoor anything. The staff has always been helpful and if I asked someone who was not usually in their usual section they would do their best to answer my questions or get the resident expert to stop by and help out. The Attic sale is an experience to say the least. People line up well in advance of an hour before the store opens and once you get into their back room/stockroom its every person for themselves. It gets a little tense when people are just blindly grabbing anything that looks half decent, but if you just keep looking through the bins you are bound to find something. The discount on stuff is usually 50% or more in some cases. I saw a pair of Columbia Titanium pants for 60 when they are normally 120. The reason for return: customer did not like the fit. I bought my wife a $200 patagonia down jacket for 70 bucks and a set of Burton Custom bindings (normally 160) for 80. The jacket was returned because the down was allegedly coming out too much but after a days worth of use I've found maybe one or two feathers, and down does shed regardless the grade and quality. It is annoying but it happens. The bindings were returned because the customer did not like the design, whatever that means. There were some more used items in the sale but those were really discounted some high end hiking shoes were anywhere from 10-20 dollars when originally the were 150+. Most people went for the serious hiking packs and car rack stuff since those are usually the most expensive and for some reason the crowd that day had a taste for hiking and mounting stuff to the roofs of their cars. My best advice for the attic sale is to have a few items in mind and look for where they might be placed in the backroom and go straight there. Get there at least an hour before especially for the attic sale after Christmas (apparently it is the better ones since people return gifts they did not want). If you have a friend to go with you then you can double your coverage of the stuff. Again this store is the best for outdoor stuff that you can use. Places like HTO are fine but I really don't see how there is a market in the DC area for a $500 down jacket rated for arctic temps (HTO carries this). I think the only drawback of this REI is that parking lot was very poorly planned but that can't be blamed on them. Just build in some time for parking. The fact that they have free parking inside the beltway is a feat in itself. read more

I had a poor experience there regarding ordering a kayak. It is complicated and not easy to explain. But, basically we ordered a kayak in Spring and it took way to long to get, like over 8 weeks. When I asked about the delay, they apologized and said that they would give me a decent discount on either the one I ordered or one that they had in stock. I said I would take the one they had in stock. When I came in, multiple people denied that they had told me that. I could not remember the guy's name but they paraded a few people by me and said NO WAY. And, the assistant manager was very rude about it. Basicially, said that I was lying. It was disgraceful. I was not lying. When I asked to speak to the "official store manager", I was told that he was out of town for a couple of months. We just went ahead and reluctantly paid full price for the one in stock. I needed a kayak and the season was basically winding down. I did not want to wait another month and other places were sold out of the one we wanted. I will not shop there if I don't have to. Their people NEED SOME SERIOUS CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING. NOW! read more

which there was a location closer to DC... but this REI is just as great as the other locations they have! :) staff is always friendly and helpful and if you are a member then you get an extra discount :) read more

I went to get a Thule bike rack. It was very crowded due to the member's sale. There was no salesperson available. So, me and another customer stood around until we could find someone. That was a good 15 minutes. But, as soon as we found someone he called someone to the bike department and all was then right with the world...OK...the customer service. Al was patient and explained and priced all the bike racks for me. He had me pick up a bike and fasten it to the two racks I was debating between to see how I liked it and how easy/difficult it was. He then Brought out a bike rack and had me lift it. I ultimately had to order one online since they didn't have the 3 bike rack in-store. He completed the paperwork and handed me to the cashier who then worked out my shareholder membership (worth purchasing). What started out a little rough due to the massive amount of customers needed with a feel good experience! read more

Largest REI that I've ever been to, and it's a great store. They really should educate the staff on massive promotions like Groupon though, so that it doesn't take them so long to understand these coupons when you present them at checkout. read more

I love REI, I'm a member, and I have been to a bunch of REI stores in the last decade. Unfortunately, this one is the worst I have been to. The location is difficult to get to (and even worse when you try to get out of the location using the snarl of roads in Arlington). The parking is limited. The location (in a cluster of low-rent strip mall stores) is ugly. Once in the store, it's not very well organized and seems to be a bit short-staffed. Selection is standard (very good), and prices are too (pretty high). There are (much) better REI locations in the DC metro area. read more

Disappointing customer service at REI. It seems like I share similar sentiments to reviews previously. As a 15+ year member I was disappointed when they would not honor their guarantee on a boot that was separating at the sole. I did a little research and it turns out to be a known problem with Asolo boots. The sales manager "Ally" was far from an example of good customer service. She could care-less about finding a mutually agreeable solution and shut me down when I asked to speak to her manager. If they do not honor their "100% satisfaction guarantee" then what is the point in supporting a brick and mortar retailer in a competitive online landscape. I hope to hear from the General Manager or assume you have lost a customer you would have had for life. read more

popped in on a Saturday morning after deciding on a particular ski boot that I thought would be perfect for me and calling ahead to make sure they had it, and I knew they had a couple of skis that I would buy as well. but I really wanted that boot. Salomon Xpro 120. heats the outer shell AND the inner shell. I knew the skis I wanted of course b/c I checked their stock against what I needed, online. the online stock appeared to correlate well with the in store stock. surprised me. I was able to get that boot, go through the heating and fitting and cooling and heating and fitting and cooling process for the boot in an hour; and the man Jason got my new skis ready to go. I was so impressed with the advice extended to me by the sales staff fitting my boot; I could not believe how much they knew. I thought I knew a lot; I know nothing. I would have screwed it up. skied twice, Sun and Mon on the boots, skis I got Sat and I say that is a well fitting ski boot. read more

Wow. This place sucks. Where to begin. Well first the parking lot. What a cluster fuck. If you can find a spot it's probably on a giant hill. This REI is also hidden behind the corner. Passed it 3 times without seeing a sign. Next the inside. If you can see through the crappy lighting and the poor layout than you can see the little amount of gear they actually have. After browsing through the little amount of climbing gear that was on the shelf I was approached by a worked who had zero idea what he was doing. I had to pretty much draw what I was looking for, the website said they had it but there was very little on the shelf. It was well in need of restocking. He went back to look for it and came back 5 minutes later asking me to describe it again. Than one more arrogant outdoor wanna be came up and again didn't know where to find it. I gave up trying after 20 minutes of the two monkeys trying to figure it out. They left me with a curt goodbye and a smug look like I was the retard not knowing. Basically this place sucks a bag. If you need gear. Try backcountry.com. Not these jokers. read more

This is the saddest REI I have ever been in. It's in a crummy strip mall and is depressing. I maybe spoiled by living on the west coast and have big wonderful spaces that are just as community focused as they are retail focused. I had never seen shopping carts in a REI until this one :( read more

I love REI! I always walk in here to get one thing, or just "look around" and end up with 2 or 3 things. I like this location and never have a problem finding what I need. Parking can be a little annoying. read more

Huge selection of bikes and all the accessories needed to enjoy the sport along with just about every other sport imaginable. Attentive, courteous, knowledgeable staff who are eager to help the customer make the right selection. My husband chose and purchased a bike after test riding quite a few contenders. We also purchased quite a few accessories for his new bike and were pleased with the timeliness of the staff preparing the bike for us to take home. Right up there with Hudson Trail Outfitters for large selection of all things sporty. A definite go-to place for bikes! Pricey but as with all quality product, you get what you pay for. read more

I love REI but customer service at this location is disappointing, especially at the bike shop.

great place for all your outdoor needs! i had a GREAT experience with the bike shop during their huge sale. there were tons of customers in the store, but i still was able to get help and take a test ride. they store most of their bikes on the ceiling, and it was a little annoying that they had to walk around staring at the ceiling for 20minutes before they could locate the bike i wanted. but eventually they found it, tuned it up quickly and i got to test it out. when i had a detailed question about my current bike, they let me walk into the shop and talk to the mechanics directly. the mechanics were the FRIENDLIEST guys and were very helpful. they told me not to ride my current bike because in its current state it was dangerous, and actually recommended i take it to a master mechanic at Spokes to look at since it is an older bike for a brand they don't carry. teveryone was so helpful and genuinely nice, that even though i could've bought them cheaper online, i bought some a headlight for my bike, a water bottle, and some dog toys just because i liked shopping there. along with a few items that i've used happily, a few purchases from their (2 jackets) have had broken zippers or ripped. they gave me store credit for them, without any hassle at all (well, except having to walk all the way to the back of the store to find the customer service dept.) still, REI is awesome about standing behind their products! i was shocked i could get such great service during what seemed like their busiest time of year. a big test, and they passed with an A+. read more

So I needed some new hiking stuff, nothing serious just some new boots and a new camelbak. And I made my first mistake. I tried Dick's Sporting Goods. I know I know...oops. After receiving no help and a crappy selection I decided to talk to the experts. Walked in, got some advice on their selection right away from extremely helpfull staff and walked out with not only the boots and camelbak but a new leatherman multitool and socks galore. FYI if you are spending $200 or more (waaaaay too easy with all of the toys in store) get the REI membership. The 10% discount appplies to your first purchase as well as any future purchases and anything over $200 makes it free and it is good for life. Definitely going back. read more

REI provides top notch service and products second to none. I purchased a bike from them a year ago and they were impressive. They spent quite a bit of time helping me and outfitted the bike exactly the way I wanted. I manged to purchase during a sale which helped a little. I can't say they are the cheapest bike outfitter but my experience was very positive. read more

Great return policy, great products, great customer service. Worth becoming an REI member, great way to keep track of your purchases in case you need to return something. read more

Bad experience tonight,I was given wrong information on the exchange policy. The saleswomen helping me in customer service treated me as if I walked in with stolen merchandise very strange experience and she was not interested in helping me in anyway. I can't imagine going back and spending money in that store. So frustrating!! read more

My favorite store. Best place around for outdoor gear. Salespeople use the gear themselves and are knowledgeable and helpful. Rei house brand gear has excellent quality for the money. Get a membership. It will pay for itself in dividends. Excellent returns policy. Order big items like canoes from website delivered to store to save shipping costs. read more

REI should use the slogan: " we have your size. Guaranteed!!! As long as you are a small or XXL." I shop here a lot for outdoor/ camping and climbing gear. But as far as clothing. Good luck finding a size that fits. For that reason I give you one star. read more

I have been an REI member for more than 20 years...like before they used to charge for membership. I have used and abused this membership more than anyone or thing else in the world. What I love most about this company is their return policy. This store is the best in the area, but the best of all is the Flagship store in Denver, where I used to live. We used to make weekend forays there and spend the day shopping and dreaming. But if I can't have the flagship, this is not bad. I order most of the stuff online then have it delivered to this store where I then pick up what I find off of the clearance racks so I miss no deals. Then...I get the dividend at the end of the year. What could be better? Just ordered 2 new sleeping bags and pads for this year. Can't wait to figure out camp stove to buy! Life is GREAT! read more

Their Labor Day Sale has started. I dropped in today. Store mostly empty & sales person walked up to assist me. I asked where the prices on the bicycle locks that filled the table are located. There was a large sign stating 25% off. He told me the locks were never supposed to have individual prices & if I want to know the price of a lock he would be glad to bring each type of lock to register to get me the price. REI can be a good store but I never recommend shopping at any store that does not publish their prices. read more

i like REI and shop there for myself, birthdays, etc. Disappointed that I can't bring my well-trained dog with me. She and I pretty much travel together, and other stores are welcoming to her. read more