This store is a fairly new addition to the REI family in SoCal. In typical REI fashion, the store is quite large and organized. Staff is friendly and helpful, if you can flag someone down. The volume of outdoor products is dizzying, and they have something for everyone. It is located in the Burbank Empire plaza, with so many other stores to patronize as well. parking - free lot read more

My wife purchased a backpack from this store yesterday. I know it's a great store and the prices are a bit expensive but worth the quality. What really made me upset is when my wife finished her transaction for the back pack and the lady didn't even offer to put the back pack in a bag. She just said we're good. Where is the courtesy? If I pay good money for a product I expect good service not a place where people take their time to call me the their register while I wait in line when all of them are available. You need to step up your service or don't. Surprised you guys are still open. read more

for Brandon. He works at shoe department and he spent 20 minutes helping me ,answering to all my questions and finding me the best pair . Very smart and understanding guy. Tnx dude! read more

REI - Brandon at the shoe department is the reason why I can run healthy and faster. - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Burbank, California

I bought 2 pairs of shoes today at the REI Burbank location. They handled COVID protocols really well. The salesperson, Paulina, was very knowledgeable, helpful and patient as I tried on ten pairs of shoes:) read more

The folks at this REI Co-Op location are pretty awesome. There wasn't a single sales person on the floor who was too busy to help me. The folks in shoes knew their stuff and the folks in the outdoor camping equipment area were very friendly and understanding of my having my lil one with me and so to present me with the information that I needed most, in a timely fashion and taking into consideration that my lil one would be traveling with me. So, all those things are very important to me. I was really interested in their hammocks for an upcoming trip. With the help and suggestions of two different sales people, we were able to decide what set up would work the best and which cords and things would be the best for our type of usage. I like that they are not pushy sales people and that they'd rather educate you more than push something on you that you either wouldn't use or don't know how to use. Too bad prices can be horrible sometimes. I can't wait for their "garage sale" in August. See ya soon! read more

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Annoying. Burbank is the closest location to me but I'll be going to other locations now. Woodland Hills is cool. I've been a member for a couple years and have spent a lot of money here. I ordered items on a prepaid card that had enough funds, rei then reached out saying I needed to update my payment method, when I called customer service it was made to seem like I caused an issue when really, they were inconveniencing me, however, I was cool about it bc things happen. I gave them the same card and it went through. The items arrived late and I didn't need them anymore. They were unused items. I went to Burbank to return them. I stood in line and watched two employees walk away from the counter as soon as they finished with their customers, leaving one employee and a line of 5 people. Another employee came up and bombarded me with questions - I simply have a return. The items were obviously unused and when they asked why I was returning, I said I didn't need them. They asked about each of the three items, I repeated that I did not need them. They held back a laugh. Jesus. Um ok, dude, I thought. They said, "For the future, if you're returning a used item, saying you no longer need them is not valid". WOW. If I had used them, I'd actually have a reason. it was unnecessary and rude. Please don't talk to customers like they're dumb. I have returned unused items before and wasn't even asked, but this employee wanted to go above and beyond about it. Look, it's unused, I don't want it I don't need it. I've already been standing here too long. read more

I must say this REI is awesome! I mean all REI's are awesome in general especially since we're outdoorsy people. We always say, let's hit up REI "just to look" but can't help but always to leave the store with something. I don't think there's ever been a time we went to REI just to look and not bought anything. It's dangerous territory! With that being said, I loved how HUGE this REI was. Everything was well organized and they have a lot more stock/inventory than other REI's we've been too. I was able to find a pair of rock climbing shows for a good price and fit perfectly after being on the lookout for what felt like forever. As always the staff was knowledgeable and friendly. read more

First off, these hours are wrong. Show up at 5:30 on a Sunday and they won't let you in, they close at 6. Reason they won't let you in is because they have no one working there to help you. Employees that are there seem to be on their break. After waiting 1/2 hour in line for footwear, you get in to wait in another line. This line will be at minimum close to an hour just to finally talk to someone. Reason being they have 2 employees working footwear and no one monitoring the footwear line. So people who didn't wait outside are coming in and jumping in line. Only come here if you have at least 3 hours to kill. read more

Reina from the footwear department was very helpful and knowledgeable. I walked in not knowing anything about hiking shoes and she was patient and brought me a variety of shoes and showed me different lacing tricks. read more

I don't write a lot of reviews. But I've become so accustomed to bad customer service when I have a great experience I need to start recognizing that person. I love the idea of REI - a co-op of like-minded people sharing a passion for the outdoors. Unfortunately, REI has lost some of the snap in its step as it pursues what feels like a mainstream retail store approach. Fewer and fewer of the salespeople are passionate, experienced outdoors types. Years ago if you went to an REI and had a specific question about equipment (e.g. crampons for Denali) your salesperson might grab two others and the three of them would compare their own personal experiences on the mountain and provide qualified guidance on gear. This combined with its generous return policy made REI the only choice when it came to buying expensive gear you weren't 100% sure about. The great thing about that qualified advice was that I never needed to return anything because they always were right. I miss those days. So when I was looking at solar charging solutions for a multi-month off grid expedition I was blown away by the help I received from Meghan at the Burbank store. Not only was she knowledgeable about the product and it's reliability she reached out to her personal contacts at another REI store to get some additional specific information for me. She was articulate, engaged and made me feel she was truly interested in finding the best solution not just any quick fix. She also shakes hands like a champ! Contrast this with the Santa Monica store where I waited and waited on a Sunday afternoon for any employee to open a changing room. (Not once but twice the same day as someone snaked my changing room while I tried to find a different size so the waiting game started again - ugh. How hard should it be to spend money?) I also had another odd experience but I'll save that for a different review. TL:DR Meghan at REI Burbank is the type of representative you want helping you make an informed decision on gear. She is awesome. Avoid the Santa Monica store if you need to try something on - unless you are willing to change in the aisles. read more

1) A employee named Karina tried to tell me I couldn't return a item without proof of purchase even though I had the credit card that I made the purchase with??? After calling customer service and finding out that was incorrect I was able to return with it with another employee. After paying $80 dollars for some biking shorts I find that to be out of line. 2) Everyone hounds you with rei membership slips. I walked out of the store with 5 employee reference membership slips and had sit thru 5 lengthy pitches... 3) Overpriced, most items sell at suggested retail. Even with 10 percent off you can find much better deals elsewhere. Bottom line not worth it. The two stars are for the other employees that actually know their stores policy. read more

Only takes ADA service animals, and quite snooty about it, so leave your dog at home.

Ty Burbank REI for helping me find the best backpack for my wilderness adventure! Super friendly and covid safe! They disinfected everything several times and allowed me to try on and assisted me with sizing for the best fitting pack. Super happy with my Osprey Aura 65! read more

I had such a phenomenal experience here!! My boyfriend and I came in looking specifically for Deuter backpacks as we saw there was a great sale on REI Garage. We tried on packs, walked around with different amounts of weight in them, and the man helping us was so informative (I wished I remembered his name!!!) Later that night we purchased the bags online through the same, and when they arrived they were just as fantastic as when we tried them on in the store. Now we just need to find a place to go hiking! Excellent customer service, the people they have in the backpack section really know what they're talking about. read more

Sadly customer service is nonexistent at this location. I spent $242.00 on one item and you think I would have gotten a courteous greet or a thank you. Eileen seemed annoyed to assist me, and it was 11:00am when the store was not busy. Oh well, there are other places to shop. Kudos to Tustin! read more

Came in to do some serious shopping for an upcoming trip. Drove 45 minutes out of my way to come specifically to this store. Was not allowed in with my 12 lb emotional support animal, which can easily be carried in my arms. Also, she is hypoallergenic, doesn't shed. The reason: they sell food in the store. BS like this is why retail is DYING. People complain that consumers are buying online, but stores need to get their ish together, and appreciate any customer that comes into the store. It's 2019 and this is LA, people have f-ing dogs. Either deal with it or lose your business to online competitors. Gonna buy everything I need from Amazon, instead. You're welcome. read more

It's a nice store, lots of inventory. But don't let the dog bowls outside fool you, they do not allow dogs inside and are actually quite rude about it if you bring your dog in unaware of their pet policy. If you want to visit a dog-friendly REI store, go to the one in Topanga. read more

once every few years i experience service so reprehensible that it's worth airing out on the internet. pedro from this store has earned that designation and quite possibly lost me as an rei customer for good. i was making a purchase and had a question about a recent promotion. pedro generously began combing through my (ten year!) purchase history and decided to do some impromptu sleuthing. he furrowed his eyebrows, crafted a riveting narrative, and delivered it -- "hmmm let's see, you made a purchase in san francisco. and denver. and you've made some returns. so you're doing one of those road trips where you're renting equipment along the way." yes, that's it. or maybe i'm demonstrating something called brand loyalty, which is something that this business clearly isn't working to cultivate. pedro, please keep brazenly challenging your customers' integrity and see how many more yelp callouts that lands you. read more

A nice clean store. Sometimes it is hard to get service right away. I just think they are working the kinks out. I am glad that REI arrived in Burbank. If you live near by you don't have to drive to Woodland Hills or Northridge. There is plenty of parking too. Good going REI. read more

REI - Outside. - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Burbank, California

I hesitate to write this review because I worked in retail and I know how hard it can be for salespeople BUT, my husband and I have been members for over 10 years and I have to say that the staff at this location are the worst we have encountered. They always ignore you, there's always a long line, and there's always just younger guys walking around ignoring customers or folding clothes at the registers when there is a long line. This location is nice and the store looks great, but the staff makes me not want to shop here. read more

We came here to purchase hiking boots, but no one acknowledged us, while we were looking at the shoes. Sales person seem to be more interested in flirting, showing photos on his phone. read more

I've taken my bike here for tuneups and been really disappointed numerous times. The last time was the first week of March and probably within the first two weeks I had problems with the chain slipping and the gears not shifting properly. From now on I'm just going to stick with legitimate bike shops. Plus it always takes WAY longer than it should to drop off or pick up. Save yourself a lot of frustration and learn from my mistakes. read more

Joy in the shoe department was super sweet as she was helping me find the perfect pair of hiking shoes. I am new to the hiking scene and I was looking for a pair that would be great in the rain as I live up north. She was patient and very helpful with her suggestions. Thank you so much Joy! read more

Went to the grand opening with my kids and was turned away by some jerk at the door with a attitude "it's a private event" okay...... then why would you put up open signs everywhere!?! Returned the next week and walked though the store and saw some cool things and greeted my friendly staff, that's worth 3 stars. read more

Fraudulent....the website took me here, clearly saying that they had an item in stock. When I showed up, they said they could have it in six days! Why wouldnt you just send me to an REI where it is in stock now? Wtf....had to rearrange my entire trip to Mt Whitney. read more

I had an online order pickup and I wanted to exchange it. The blonde girl in glasses behind the counter was extremely rude and unhelpful and after waiting for ten minutes, I just gave up. As a note, the item was unworn, tags still attached, and had only been purchased a few weeks earlier. The issue was not with the item, but with the person behind the counter. She should not be in a customer-facing position. read more

Customer service is non-existant at this store. I wanted to buy a pair of sunglasses that were in a locked case. I asked an employee for help and all she did was call someone else who never showed up. I asked her a second time and heard her talking to someone and describing me. I waited again. Finally I asked for the store manager who reluctantly helped me. This seems to be the cutler at REÍ. The same terrible service or lack thereof occurs at the San Francisco store as well. No wonder I am reluctant to shop there and only go when I absolutely have to. read more

Can't tell you how much we love their shop. They are knowledgeable and friendly. The company really backed up anything they sell.

Up until today I had some really great experiences at REI. I was usually just a "browser" but since I decided to do more outdoor activities as of late I decided to become a member and get the perks like 365 day return policy and because of the great service/information I received at the Santa Monica store. Today, at the Burbank location I was returning a water bottle. The Cashier asked me if I had used it and I said no and she proceeded to check the inside of the bottle and noticed there was water droplets. She said "I can't return that." I said "what?, how about the 365 day policy?" (that by the way I had asked when I first purchased the item that it applied to the water bottle too.) She said "well it's been used and I have to damage it out" I said, "I only put water in it and whats what the point of the 365 day policy?"(remember I'm still under the impression I could return it) She said, "well we have to damage it out, you wouldn't want to drink out of it if you bought it, but I'll make the exception THIS TIME" The whole moment was condescending as if I did something wrong. I was going to purchase a $300 jacket but I said to her, "you know what, never mind, I'm NOT taking it after all. I walked out without the jacket that I wanted and they lost a customer and sales. Terrible customer service at the front desk! So much for the amazing return policy that everyone keeps raving about. Thanks I'll stick to Amazon Prime! I don't really write reviews but this has changed my view on them. read more

This place always lured me in and makes me want to camp instantly. The staff greets you with a smile and the customer service quality is excellent. The prices are a bit on the pricy end so be ready to pay extra for really good quality that will last a life time read more

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What a wonderful soft opening to treat coop members to a preview. Largest REI store in Southern California, lots of space to navigate, lots of merchandise. There are even spots to sit down and read a guide book or rest your feet. A cycle shop to fix bikes. Plenty of associates eager to help. Shopping at REI always inspires me to be more adventurous, explore the great outdoors. Parking is going to be tough given the number of stores, but hopefully worth it. read more

Worst experience I have ever had. I first was told I cannot shop because they were only open for 4 min however it was 8:45 which makes no sense for them to close at 8:49 her time when the door says 9:00pm. Never have I ever been to an outdoor store and told my mask was not acceptable. I'm already wearing a mask and keep getting these pointless shots!!!!! This place is a joke then as I was already looking for what I wanted an older employee tried to insist on helping me which would have only taken longer I got what I needed rushed to the cashier stand was in and at the cashier within 2 min as I was made to wait over 5 min as 2 employees gossiped one was acting perplexed at a return he had previously done and 2 more employees gossiping with a line now building as the 4 min mark had clearly passed. And in stead of telling me I can't come in because of my mask which is completely illegal and unprofessional as my mask is from a doctors office!!!! But all she had to do is offer me the kind they had at the door and ask if I could put it on. I have been wearing this same type mask from my doctor for the past 2 years as I have a medical disability but still put it on to comply with society's expectations. I will never in my life support people like this nor do I want to associate with this sort. read more

I would live here if I could. I'll just settle living five minutes away. I love this REI. Great selection. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Plenty of parking. I don't need to say anymore. Just go. read more

Let me just preface this by saying I like REI, but the customer service at this particular location stinks. I bought a $400 sleeping pad, and less than a week later, REI put out a 20% off coupon. They wouldn't do a price adjustment on it and the manager (Gene) instead told me that I would have to physically return the pad one day and buy it again on a another. I think that's really poor customer service. I could understand if i were asking for an adjustment months later, but less than a week? C'mon. Why make your customers upset like that? I feel like there are 2 scenarios here: one I get a price adjustment, leave happy and continue to praise REI. The other, I have to return it and re-purchase a new one (in essence getting a price adjustment - but now REI has a used item on their hands) and I do a bunch of extra work and overall leave unhappy. This policy is so LAME. The lesson here kids is that if you want a price adjustment on something you recently purchased, certainly don't mention that at the counter, just return it and buy it again. read more

Overall the staff at the Burbank REI, particularly those that answer the phones and are at the cash registers, are way too young and inexperienced to extend the kind and over-the-top customer service that I am accustomed to from the Arcadia REI. For example, none of the REIs carry running shoes in small men's sizes so I am forced to order online. When I went in to pick up the shoes at Burbank REI I felt criticized and was told by a manager who had no clue of my shoe size, "we have a good selection in the store. Next time just get some shoes from in-store." I will avoid returning to this store and will make the longer trip to Arcadia REI in the future. read more

Big and clean. Easy to navigate around and find what you need. Staff super knowledgeable and very helpful. read more

REI - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Burbank, California

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Most of the staff is helpful. But there was a lady manager who was rude and very unprofessional. She was not knowledgeable of company policy and did not provide the proper customer service. Experiences like this ruin brick and mortar retail shops. read more

Went in to get a tube replaced on my bike. Guy in front was expedient, but took the extra step to TEACH me how to change a tube on my bike. Could have brought in more money by not teaching me (15 bucks wheeeee) , but he took the time to help me learn for myself. Very conscious of my needs, warm, friendly, helpful, good sense of humor. Was even a little OCD on getting everything right (he admitted it), working with his team to get questions answered. 10 out of 10, would come in to get tubes replaced again. But I don't need to anymore since the guy taught me ;) read more

Great store with excellent staff . Found all the gear I was looking for , I love this co-op That's what has made rei one of the last recreational retail store to survive . Thank you REI for the Burbank location read more

I've had positive experiences here when buying new hiking gear. The staff was friendly and helpful, even with several customers in the store. Recently, I went in to try on some winter jackets. The Patagonia down jackets are bolted down and require staff assistance to try on, which is fine. However, they insisted on then keeping an eye on me as I tried on the jacket over my clothing in a mirror on the open floor (and suggested I try the jacket on in public, rather than in a fitting room). It just felt unnecessary, uncomfortable, and really ruined the customer experience, especially for a Co-Op member. To be clear, the ask was for theft prevention rather than anything else. Perhaps consider some automated ways to prevent theft, like sensors within the clothing or more cameras in that area? It seems like a no-win to have a staff member waste their time staring when they could be working on something else, and for the customer to want to hurry up and leave the store. The free way to ensure theft prevention isn't always the best way. I ended up leaving to take my business elsewhere. REI isn't the only place in the world that sells Patagonia jackets (or other sporting gear, for that matter). Pretty disappointing, as I've always enjoyed my previous visits here. read more