Run away as fast as you can from these guys. Dillon the manager suggested to me that the compensation received for a mismatched pair of running shoes was "more than adequate." I disagree, here's the story: Several years ago I had gone shopping for running shoes at the reí in Pleasanton . I spoke to an associate that recommended Hoka which has worked now for four years with all purchases made at rei. About four weeks ago I went to the store to try out the newer version of the model that I had been using. The store did not have my width. With that the store clerk suggested I try online. I ordered them and on October 31 was notified that they were available for pickup at the store. read more

I made a online return and not only were the staff very unorganized, they took my item and expected me to pay more. I'm not responsible for their mistakes with online shipping. I don't recommend this store. It's sloppy and the staff including the manager Brandon have no idea what they're doing. read more

Came in on a Monday night for a bike tuneup for the first time at an REI so I didn't know what to expect. The person attending the bike service area took a look at my bike and found no need for a bike tuneup. He did point out that the chain was a bit stretched and that in about 100 miles I would need to get it replaced. He cleaned and lubed the chain and said it was a small free service for members. Definitely appreciated the proactive and honest customer service! I will look no further for whenever I do need a tuneup or my chain replaced, or any other bike service in the future. read more

Long wait for... Well after the wait at the register I ultimately went in the back to find a help. Kinda had that Home Depot feel. I really like REI. I will continue to patronize this business. read more

Despite the huge yearly sales event I attended here and also at the Folsom CA store location, I still find that the merchandised price point are exceptionally higher than other sporting good retail stores. This location including other REI locations I have visited in the past are always crowded, so expect standing in long lines trying to cashout your purchases. The sales event has items supposedly on sale, but the price savings are considerably lacking, despite the fact I am a REI member. Furthermore, even armed with a 20% sales coupon accompanying my REI membership discount, I am still paying well over what other sporting good stores normally charges! This location added the Thule cargo roof boxes and other Thule products displayed on the left hand side of the store by the bikes. But, I was interested purchasing the swingaway rear loading cargo box which is unavailable except by ordering the product online and the item is not on display at all REI locations I have visited. Here again, the Thule rear cargo box costs more at REI than other high-end retail sporting good stores all across the country ordered online. Therefore, questionable price increases leaves me wondering how much a product mark up REI creates per location to even out the costs for store's location and floor plan rent? Another questionable sale price item is the bear spray. The smallest container of bear spray without holster is on sale for $27.95 normally costing $39.95. However, at Sports Chalet, the larger bear spray cannister WITH holster costs $39.95 while at REI, the same bear spray without holster costs $49.95! It is wise to check pricing before purchasing via online and physically visiting other sporting good stores like I have. Heads Up: Sales tax in the nine county SF Bay area has increased radically. If you buy in Marin County the sales tax is 7.75%, Solano County is $7.37%, West Contra Costa is $7.75%, Alameda County is $8.75%, etc. Overall, I think it is wise to buy where the sales tax is less, if you get my drift . . . O=;-) Be a smart shopper! read more

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This spot has it all! I mean seriously from mountain bikes, shoes, three wheeled strollers...what you need? And while yes it is pricey, at least you know your getting quality equipment with an unbeatable return policy (lifetime guarantee). So I went out searching for a backpack baby carrier, and stopped at a few camping/outdoor stores. Later I realized that I could've saved a whole lot of time by coming to REI first. Hands down, this spot beats out any other outdoor store in the East Bay in terms of selection. We eventually found a baby carrier that was a suitable and for a reasonable price. I even found myself shelling out extra cash in order to become a member. Occasionally they'll send me coupons in the mail for 20% off my entire purchase. (+) cramped parking lot (at least they got one) (+) knowledgeable staff (++) return policy is second to none read more

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I bought several outdoor items from this REI branch. Ranging from co-op t shirts to technical bicycles. The store is well organized and the staff are courteous and knowledgeable. read more

I love REI, but right now, they are really screwing up. I got an email notice from them about a sale. looked at their Patagonia inventory online and there was tons of stuff on sale. I came into the store, and there is nothing, nothing to indicate that these things are on sale. The sales clerk was very helpful and looking things up and telling me that yes indeed they are on sale. But anyone browsing will look at the regular Patagonia price and likely say this is too expensive! Patagonia is expensive, and a sale is a very big deal. REI clean up your act! read more

Really long check out line with one cashier asking a bunch of questions prolonging they transaction, if someone signs up for membership it takes even longer. If you expect to be able to walk in purchase something quickly that will not be the case. Shopping online might be the only answer. Took me an half hour to get here and I walked out when I noticed 7 people deep in line and literally one person working the reg. read more

Doesn't even carry any snowboarding equipment. Yikes. Better off going to the SF location!

I needed to buy a few things for Iceland, and as I procrastinated, I didn't have time to buy them online. I had to go into the store on a Sunday afternoon the weekend before I left, and it was somewhat of a mess. REI was having a 20% for one item coupon for members, so there were lots of people there taking advantage of the discount. The winter stuff was definitely picked over as it was the end of March. Luckily, I was able to get a pair of their Talusphere pants which is waterproof, and a pair of fleece pants. The Talusphere was a little long on me, but I was able to cinch the bottom hem. It worked really well for me. It snowed pretty hard several times, so we had to hike in the show to get to a few places (glaciers, Svartifoss and Katla Ice Cave). The pants kept me dry for sure, even when I had to slide down on snow. The fleece pants were also warm enough to wear on its own on days when it was dry and in the high 30s. I was able to use our 20% discount on the Talusphere pants, and our dividend for my entire purchase, so it wasn't too painful. We are members of REI and camp a lot, so we will be back for sure. read more

Ariel was helping me out with my return. I had to return a lot of items and she was really patient and friendly towards me. Go Ariel!

Brought my city/road bike in bc I thought the front brakes and shifters got loosened up after the bike fell over one day. Art at the West Berkeley bike center gave it a thorough look over and found that it was actually just the brake quick release that got triggered, and helped rotate my shifters back straight. Inflated my tires, did a quick wipe down of the entire bike and didn't charge me a cent! Even gave me a handy bike manual. Will definitely be taking my bike back for my next big tuneup! read more

So I recently bought a bike online.I called there and spoke with Scott about making sure the tires were to the correct pressure. After being condescending over the phone I decided to take a trip there. Let me tell you black people stay away. I was at the counter for 5 mins and this skinny guy finally decided he was going to come help me . But yet a older white lady comes in and he jumps up. I've lived in this neighborhood all my life my house is paid for ! I expect to get the same treatment as as the next person. At that point I just left! I will never return or give them any of my money!! read more

It's a really nice store with friendly employees. I bought a pair of hiking boots here. The sales associate was so excited to tell me about what boots they offered and why some were more expensive than others. The store itself is enormous and it's fun to check out all the gear. read more

Went to this REI location recently to get my first pair of climbing shoes, hadn't had a ton of experience personally at REI and I wasn't expecting such baller customer service. It felt like it was the employees life mission to find me a pair of climbing shoes within my budget that worked for what I needed. I believe it was Freddi and Susan that helped me out but I could be wrong on their names. Thanks so much! read more

Wonderful selection, and super helpful employees, one of whom recommended Hokas to us which we now wear and love. Their return policy is also great. read more

REI has a well balanced selection of products that range from way, way too expensive--to prices that are fair. Overall, you can get just about anything you need for any type of outdoor adventure. But as most things are in life, these needs certainly ask for pretty deep-pockets. Many of their heavy jackets are exhaaaaustingly expensive. In most cases, well over $350. The quality is high, but it still $350+. I generally get running gear here, as well as low-cut hiking trail boots. Running gear is a hit or a miss, but if you're patient you can generally get a really, really nice pair of running shorts for $30-$40. Their shoes/boots are generally over $110. But I am on my feet 10 to 12 hours a day at work, I need shoes always last me for about a year. Once, they lasted about six months, and when I inquired about it at REI, they gave me the same pair for free. So yeah, it's expensive. But you get what you pay for, and if it doesn't work out you generally get your money back or some sort of credit. Today, just poking around, I filtered through a cacophony of "sales." Most of the sales weren't sales, it was more of "50% off!" But it was 50% off of $450 products.... soooo, meh. No thanks. I did find a few diamonds in the rough. Some great lava colored longsleeve shirts for under 30 bucks, and a few thin cut cotton zip ups for roughly $40. Even if you only shop here a couple times a year, consider getting their membership card. It's something $20 or $25, and you get 10% back off of your purchases. So generally speaking, once you spend $200, you pretty much pay for it but membership in dividends. I probably spend about $400-$600 a year, so it's nice to pocket $80 to $100 in dividends--just for doing normal shopping. It's crazy not to get membership. I never really care about customer service, but I will say the customer service here is elite. It's not fake, the people who work here are generally friendly and relaxed. I've never felt "pushed" to get something here, I've only been offered help. Definitely worth checking out, definitely worth getting their membership. Great place to have fun. read more

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Customer service sucks. Whenever I have had to go, here, it pains me to visit. I go camp gear shopping, the service persons I experience are 50/50. I go bike part shopping, service persons can be oblivious, or downright snooty. I mean heck, I'm not a pro bike builder, I don't know the part names all the time... no need to shame me. It seems that whenever I ask too many questions, they just kinda go away. I don't demand much of any of their time, since I just want to get in and get out. Shoe shopping here is the worst... it's always horrible and almost humiliating... I have wide feet, and as such I always have to try on shoes. Different brands' sizes are different from one to the other. I absolutely HATE having to deal with their customer service, because they always disappear on me. The kid I dealt with yesterday even argued with me when he told me he didn't have the waterproof version of a model. I asked if I could size a few of the non-waterproof versions so I could have an idea of what I could order from the online shop, since they were out of all the shoes I could fit and that I actually wanted - another reason shopping here is a nightmare. He frustratedly just told me, "I told you we are out of waterproof versions of that shoe"...repeated myself, and he disappeared into the back... I wait 5 minutes and eventually look up to see if he came back out... and he was serving another customer on the other side of the shoe shop area. I felt completely abandoned. This is not the first time, nor the second or third time this has happened at this location. I almost bought shoes here a couple other times, but decided against, based on these same experiences... All of this has been happening since BEFORE the pandemic and the "supply chain issues" that so many retailers are experiencing. I don't recommend them for their customer service... they have always sucked in their shoe department and their bike department. I can barely recommend them for current products, since their variety is diminishing. read more

Staff is super helpful and knowledgeable without pressuring you into buying stuff. Nice vibe. Big selection. Not the cheapest by any means, but a very liberal return policy. I've been a member for years. Def recommend. read more

Even in this age of online commerce & Cyber Mondays, there's still a place for brick & mortar retail stores. REI is a good example of why that is & how they stay in the game. For me, this REI store in Berkeley has come through in the clutch repeatedly when it came to last minute, "everything is already packed for a trip but I remembered I need 1 more thing" purchases. Comfy, slip-on walking shoes for a 2 week tour of China? Got it. Snorkeling gear for New Year's in Cabo? Check. A bike rack so I can strap my mountain bike onto my new car before the upcoming weekend? Yeah, REI had that too. It's all there. You can get stuff even faster than overnight shipping. & you can examine/ play with/ try out all of it before purchasing. Enough can't be said for the virtues of trying before buying. A big part of the allure of online shopping is lower prices. REI helps cut into that disparity with sales & their membership. It's $20 up front for lifetime membership, but it's 10% back annually on everything after that. REI is online too, of course. A big convenience of their website is being able to check if any particular item is in a store. For my most recent purchase of a Yakima bike rack, it was a matter of: look it up on REI.com, find it in the Berkeley store, go get it. Staff was friendly & helpful to the point of stopping in the middle of something to take me directly to the specific bike rack I was looking for. After confirming it was what I wanted, the staff even took me straight to a checkout & rang up my purchase without any waiting in line. Personalized service FTW! The REI in Berkeley is a fantastic resource full of just about anything you'll need for your next adventure. I know when I need to grab that last minute, "almost forgot it before leaving" item for my next great expedition, I'll be stopping by here to get it on the way to the airport. read more

Lifetime Warranty like what ! I'm only buying gear from REI. I just want to give a shout out to Migmar he took like a hour to explain all the different types of sleeping pad options (even blowing up one not on display just so I could try it out). That man deserves a raise! read more

My go to REI spot since I'm avoiding Fremont's REI like a plague... The only downside with this spot... the whole East Bay goes here! Parking is always a challenge, I always opt to park in the Walgreens side if you go at night or on weekends! Sometimes you can get good discounts, others... I suggest checking out Sports Basement or ordering online! I came here just to get paddling gloves since I didn't want to get anymore blisters in my hands and so I could grip the paddle better! Anyway... pricey but they do have the 100% guarantee so it has its pros and cons. read more

Need a sleeping bag but don't want to spend a ton of cash? If your center of gravity is lower than most (i.e. you're short) look no further than REI! You can get a really great sleeping bag in a youth size here. I'm 5'2" and I got a great youth size sleeping bag here for a fraction of what the adult sleeping bags cost. As my grandma always says, "good things coming in small packages." read more

Nicely organized store. Extremely helpful and friendly staff. They helped me find things I wanted to buy. They also gave me suggestions and tips. The cashier, Yumi, was nice to talk to and had a great explanation of the membership. Parking at the front made it so stress free. I really liked this location and wish I lived closer. Would go out of my way to come back. read more

There must have been 5 people working in the shoe dept. None asked if i needed help. I see them helping others and putting shoes away. There was a swarm of people on benches trying on shoes and then there were only a few. I must have waited 30 min there. Each time i was the asker of help. Yes they will help only if asked but still very busy with one or two customers. This reminds me of Macy's shoe dept. It is best to stay inside their shoe storage room then come out to help. Each time i get the person who consistently got what i want then he helped somebody else. Till the end he was probably the only one still helping somebody else. The rest, busy putting away stock, hiding? Never once asing if i needed help? Ok to ignore. Taking their break? Its easy to be invisible. Reminds me of how life is. To show up and give it your all or to take a break to say that is all i can give. I'm being philosophical. Life represented while waiting for shoe help. It's their anniversary sale. The store was busy. It's a long weekend. The cashier was friendly. Restroom was clean. Parking lot was full. Greeter was nice. Members get one item 20% off full price till 5/31/21. read more

5 stars for the annual sale and fantastic customer service. They could get 5 stars just for the usual great selection and for being the ultimate one-stop shopping center for the great outdoors. Can't wait to take my new tent on the road. Kudos to the sales gal who talked me out of the more expensive backpacking tent when I mostly go car camping anyway. Now it's off to Santa Cruz, for (hopefully) a warmer version of the 4th of July than I've ever gotten by the bay. REI has been hooking me up for 30+ years...so I'm not going to complain about the frickin' parking lot. Chill out and wait for two minutes people. Are you folks this uptight when you're out climbing, hiking and kayaking??? Pity... read more

This review is based on many, many shopping experiences at this location and several years as an REI member. OK...now wait...Do you know about the return policy at REI?? Every item is 100% gauranteed! If you are a member, you don't even need to bring in your receipt to return your defective, inadequate, worn out or just unstylish gear - they look up your membership # in the computer and issue a store credit. WOW!!!!!! Last Winter (late '05/early '06) my rain jacket was shot, a little while later my rain pants had a tear and sometime during the season my hiking boots started to leak. Guess what? Before that season was over, I had all new gear thanks to the generous REI return policy. I got full credit for my returned items (minus a small percentage for the dividend that was paid to me on these items) and got fresh new gear!!! Sure, REI can be a little pricey at the time of initial purchase, but when you factor in that you can return your worn out gear for a full refund....I'll be able to get new rain gear every year or two continually based on a purchase 4 years ago. This return policy is the shiznit! Besides that, they have great gear, fairly knowledgable staff, annual cash back dividends for members and a great monthly used gear sale. OK...the monthly used gear sale....you know that rain gear I returned? They sell it at the used gear sale - cheap! OK...bad example - that gear was crap when I returned it. BUT...they also sell the shoes and boots that people bought and returned because they didn't fit right. Every kind of gear they sell, you can get at the used gear sale - at incredible discounts if you know how to *work the system. They have the full range of complete crap - like the stuff I returned - to items that were only used once or twice that are in great shape. *OK...working the system. The used gear sale usually happens on the first weekend of each month (check the website to be sure). On Saturdays, at the beginning of the sale, they have a ton of good gear and a lot of people waiting to check the stuff out. (There may even be a waiting line or lotto system for early Saturday...I'm not sure.) There is a much greater selection of stuff on Saturday, but the gear isn't discounted nearly as much as it will be (if it's still around) on Sunday afternoon. On Sunday afternoons, shortly before they close up the used gear sale, they start taking offers on gear. "OK...how much do you want to pay for this?" Usually you can get items for much less than the already discounted price-tag. I once got a $120 pair or Ray-Bans for less than 10 bucks. There was a tiny, tiny scratch on one of the lenses - I couldn't even notice it when wearing the glasses. (I've since lost those RayBans....Damn!!!!) The only things to know about the used gear sale: 1st, I don't think that stuff is returnable - if you buy it, it's yours. 2nd, used gear items don't earn you dividends. These are a couple of really minor factors, though, IMO. Now that I've posted this review, I only ask one thing: Please don't hog up the returns/exchanges line when I'm there!! read more

REI - Bikes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Trust worthy OUTDOOR sport "department store". -They carry all kinds of brands ranging from small/unknown brands to international big names. -Staffs are friendly but some will be a bit judgmental. A lot of the staffs here are new grads from Berkeley.....go figure -Service is good. All employees are following the company guidance and policies. Will return for more purchase in the future. read more

Don't bother asking for help because they can't answer questions like a difference between the men and women's version of the same product. Oh and when you're at the register, they'll take someone else and ring them up as you're attempting to get your question (not) answered so you'd have to wait. read more

I'm a huge huge fan of REI, but must say that this REI is not my favorite. I've purchased many things from this location including some brooks running shoes that unfortunately turned out to be a nightmare. I was told by the shoe sales person to try these particular running shoes that at first seemed to work, but then I realized they were the wrong fit and I suffered a serious injury. Personally I would highly recommended not taking the advice of the sales people here on shoes, because you are most likely not dealing with professional shoe fitters. And because of this "bad shoe fitting" I had a serious enough injury where I could not walk for 5 days. My injury was specifically diagnosed as a repetitive stress injury caused by repeated pressure on a specific area on my foot. Unfortunately I did not know there was a problem until I took my running shoes off. Overall I learned a valuable lesson, which is to not take REI sales people suggestions to heart. I'd say that REI is a great place to shop for things, but you can't rely on the "knowledge" of the people who work here. In truth they really might not actually know what their talking about and I'm not sure if it's lack of training but either way do your own research. Be informed about the products you want to buy BEFORE coming here and then you will be able to make a wise purchase. In the end I'm glad I was able to exchange my $100 pair of shoes for another pair that I knew worked well for me in the past. read more

With the snow starting to pile down in the Sierra I thought it'd be a great idea to stop by a local REI and purchase the snow gear that I've been telling myself to buy for the past four years. I visited a few days after Black Friday and thought I could possibly get a great deal on everything that I needed. Boy was I wrong. The place was packed. All the employees were multitasking and running back and forth from one customer to another - I could instantly feel the anxiety from the moment that I walked in the door. I stood by the snowboards hoping to grab someone that could help me find a board that I'd need but after fifteen minutes I had to approach the greeter for assistance. I then met Ya ya, she was really friendly and honest. She admitted to me that she didn't know much about snowboards but was willing to find the answer to any of my questions. At first I was disappointed and I had a feeling that she knew that so I told her that I'd probably try a few other sporting goods location first before buying anything. She told me about their REI customer program and handed me a slip if I was interested in joining and then I headed out. It was not more than an hour that I found myself back at REI and standing in front of Ya ya. By that time the rush started to die down and the workers were starting to clean up from previous customers. She started to break down all the items that I'd need - board, boots, and bindings. We started out with checking out the boards. She grabbed someone from the back to help assist in finding a board for me. While we were talking, a question arose that I was fully unaware of, rocker vs. camber, thankfully they broke down the two and grabbed a board that would fit my height and weight. The next item on the list was boots. They had a large variety of boots to choose from and had a ton on sale and clearance. While looking at the boots I started to get nervous. Before making the decision to purchase snow gear, I thought I could buy everything within $400 but the board alone was $400 and the boots was averaging $80-130, on top of that the bindings was an additional $50. I admitted to Ya ya that I was having second thoughts about purchasing all these items and to my surprise, she was extremely understandable. She told me that before working for REI she was trying to buy gear for some new hobby and she was overwhelmed with the price tag of all the items she needed. Even though I walked away with physically nothing, I did walk away with more understanding on the items that I'll be needing when I am comfortable in buying snow gear. read more

wonderful experiences with the bike department, Zac who a very professional friendly young gentleman repaired my tire, he also pointed out my tires showing old, it's not been riding much but sets in hot weather garages, he also provided me additional info re: tire size & few poss replacement tires...gave him two thumbs up. yes, I 100% recommended REI-Berkeley CA tire shops. read more

I've become such a regular at REI that I stopped reviewing it ... Last year I had almost a $200 rebate check .... so you can figure out how much I spend here. LOVE the return policy. Paddling gear - okay assortment of NRS paddling gear ... sells for same as buying direct from NRS, but great deals when they have the 20% off coupons or come by during one of their semi annual sales. Climbing gear - solid assortment of shoes, ropes and gear. While I didn't end up getting my outdoor rope from REI, I LOVE all the research information that they provide to help compare different types of gear. Food / Body Fuel - 20% discount when you buy 12 or more. You can mix and match. Again ... no questions asked on the return policy. I got a bad batch of drink mix and REI took it back even though I'd already opened it. One of my larger purchases was the Garmin GPS watch. I had the 310XT for about a year and a half - and probably used it to death jumping in and out of boats ... I returned it and exchanged it for the upgraded Garmin 910XT. Despite the higher price than what you might find elsewhere online, if you are buying equipment that you plan to really use - it's worth it to get it here. Everyone is friendly and knowledgeable. read more

This review is for the bike repair department. I had an issue with the gear shifting on my bicycle. Jeremiah(I think) repaired the issue within 20min while I shopped around for other gear. I appreciated that he diagnosed the problem and was able to fix the problem without me having to leave the bicycle for a week or longer. read more

Arthur in the bike service area went out of his way to help me get a recumbent tricycle in and out of the store, fixed the problem with a bent rear derailleur hanger, explained what he was doing, and gave me good advice for avoiding problems with it in the future. He obviously had great skill and knowledge about the mechanicanical aspects of the trike and was very generous in sharing his knowledge, as well as his skill. read more

Until today REI was my go to store for sporting equipment. I've used them for over 30 years. I've been a REI member for 30 years. Their prices may be higher than other stores but because they back what they sell it is worth paying more for equipment. Not any more. I had a Camelback Crux that I bought at REI. The plastic that connects it to the backpack broke. I brought it back to REI to exchange it for one that was not broken. The REI help desk person told me that I had it too long and they wouldn't exchange it for one that was not broken. From now on I'll go to Sports Basement in Berkeley where they have the same equipment but the prices are less. read more

Phone call to customer service at Berkeley REI earlier today - Me: I'm not sure if I bought this thing I have here at REI, could you check my buying history for the past 10 years and tell me if I got if from you guys. i think i bought it in Michigan. Them: sure, one second..... yep you got it here Me: could you transfer me to bike so i can see if they have the most recent model of this old thing i want to replace? Them: sure tick tick tick tick Them2: hi how can i help you Me: hi, do you have this thing i want replaced? Them2: yep, but it has a fancier name now Me: same thing though right? Them2: right. Me: cool. 30 minutes later I walk in with my old damaged defamed product and out with my shiny new product with no questions asked. where else can you get that?? REI rocks. just be selective in your MSRP purchases and it'll all work out fine. read more

I have been visiting various REI stores since the mid 80's, buying camping gear and sporting gear, that's BY (Before Yelp). Visiting the main store is always great, I would hit up the clearance sections, or buy new stuff for my bike. But recently I returned on two different visits for ski boots and ski bindings. I found out that Jeff is the resident snow guru and he helped find me comfortable ski boots that did not have a vice grip on my calves. On the second visit, he was able to track down ski bindings that fit my retro narrow skis. While he was helping me, all of Jeff's co-workers were peppering him with questions. The staff is always so helpful and knowledgeable, while Jeff was helping me and finding stuff from the back room, I was always being asked if I needed assistance. When I have problems with any online orders, such as incorrect fit or missing parts, I can easily return it to the store without any hassles. Go check it out and go outside!!!! read more

I am so surprised this store only has 3.5 stars. We have had nothing but amazing experiences here. We are outdoor novices (to say the least). Every person we've ever dealt with here is friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. I've stayed far from retail as much as possible in the last few years because usually people who work in retail don't know anything about what they're selling. This store is the exact opposite. I will never shop for any outdoor items anywhere else ever again. read more