I love this store! My 8 and 10 year old boys and I have been frequenting this store to take their FREE outdoor classes and learn more about how to get outside and have fun together! Every time we visit, the sales associates prove themselves to be welcoming, knowledgeable, friendly, and most helpful. I highly recommend this store to anyone who is interesting in outdoor activities. They seem to specialize in camping, hiking, biking, snowboarding/skiiing, kayaking, running, yoga, etc., but every time we go there, I find something new! read more

REI - off of Dobbin Rd, near 175 and Snowden River Pkwy, next to the new ToysRUs! - Bikes Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

They've moved from hard core outdoor gear to a mix with urban clothing over the decades at the expense of gear. They guarantee everything but you pay a premium for this insurance even considering the rebate. You can get the same stuff on line often for less. Their only advantages at this time is their own brand name backpacks and a knowledgeable staff. I miss Appalachian Outfitters and HTO. read more

My 16 year old daughter bought me gift. It was the wrong size. When I tried to exchange it for the right size they wouldn't do it because she was not a member. Well they let her buy it. So now I'm stuck with something I can't I ware. Stupid policy for an overpriced store read more

5 stars just based on my first time experience there today. Last day of one of their biggest sales of the year, store packed, employees not able to walk 2 feet without getting asked a question. Despite that, the two staff I worked with were really friendly, helpful and were experienced enough to be knowledgeable and passionate about the info given (for a backpacking trip). Kudos to the staff for working their butts off and maintaining a good attitude throughout. read more

Nice in that it's never too crowded. Did not like the way they ran their garage sale. Too stressful. I love when you check out in REI and you tell them you are a member. The grumpiest cashier becomes so friendly. You get the secret wink and hand shake and a smile. Plus all the great benefits of membership. read more

We have been long time customers of REI and up until recently would have recommended them to friends and family, however no longer will we do so. It started a year ago we purchased a pair of ski boots and like any ski boot, they are always a little uncomfortable until they are broken in. I skied a few local mountains before going out west to Montana and the entire week was a complete because the boots were extremely uncomfortable. I spent days and hours at a boot fitter store only to find out that the boots REI sold me were a size too small. I had to spend lots of money on rental boots in order to be able to ski. Upon my return, I called the manger and he backed the stores policy and refunded me the money for the boots, while a kind gesture, it did not make up for the week of hell I spent in Montana on incorrectly sized boots. A month we came into the store and purchased over $1300 worth of Christmas gifts for family members. We returned to the store yesterday and noticed that ALL of the items were on sale 30-40% off. We inquired with the manager about getting a refund for the sale difference and he informed us that we cannot bring back items anytime we want. We reminded the manager of their 1 year unconditional satisfaction guarantee, and he then proceeded to tell us that would not be in the spirit of Christmas. We left the store bewildered by his comments. After talking it over, we decided that we would just return the purchases for full refund and move on. When we called to inform the manager of our intentions, he was very rude to us on the phone, and denied ever saying we could not return the items, or anything about Christmas spirit. Once again we were bewildered by his comments, and insinuations that we were lying. We decided to call their corporate office and report the manager. Someone took our statement and will address the issue with the employee. I am a firm believer in customer service, and fair treatment, and in return my family will reward you with customer loyalty and recommend you to family and friends. With REI, we can no longer do that. There are plenty of other stores in which you can shop at for outdoor gear. read more

When I go into REI I expect great service and a knowledgeable staff, especially in the shoe department. And when I spend in excess of $140 on shoes, I expect to be treated well. Instead, I had a blonde surly 20-something surly male give me amateur advice and ignore me after I tried them on. He seemed intimidated by me, almost as if he was in competition with me. It was a bad experience all around. I won't be shopping there again. My advice: Hire more women. They are much more grown up at that age. read more

One of the best things about REI is the knowledgeable and friendly staff. My husband and I came here looking for a backpack for a trip we're taking soon. Sue, in the backpack section spent about an hour with us both, fitting for size, packing bags, and having us try them on and walk around the store. The key is comfort regardless of the reviews we read online about the different packs. She helped us find the right one for us. Sue was awesome and patient. I recommend this place to anyone planning and outdoor adventure. BLUF: KNOWLEDGEABLE AND USER FRIENDLY STAFF, GREAT SELECTION OF GEAR! BECOME A MEMBER, THE SALES ARE AWESOME! read more

I have been a REI customer for 45 years. I grew up in Seattle. The store was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1938. I encourage anyone who has a reason to travel to Seattle to visit the REI Seattle Flagship Store. The REI Seattle Flagship Store is awesome! I shop frequently at the RE store in Rockville. The dividend refunds are great! Last year I received a $500.00 dividend! Yes, as was previously stated, I shop frequently at REI. About pricing...."You get what you pay for". I have spent time traveling in various countries around the world, and all items (clothing, shoes, skis, camping equipment) purchased from REI have held up well. I still have a pair of hiking boots that I purchased from the old Seattle store 45 years ago. The 45-year-old Vasque Gore-Tex® boots do not show very much wear and tear, and the soles are still in excellent condition. I still wear them; they are very good boots. I love the return policy....."No questions asked". I am about to leave the hotel that I am staying at near the airport, to go to the Columbia REI for the first time. I have shopped at REI stores around the United States, and I have never had a bad experience. read more

I'd give REI in Columbia 4.5 stars if possible, but 4 is the max I can do, bit silly. I do not feel like anything warrants 5 stars except perfection. That is not to say that REI is not a great store, it, just like everything else, is no perfect. The location of the store can be tedious with Columbia drivers, but otherwise it is in a great location, in close proximity to things like Toys R Us and Red Robin or Petco, which is great because I can get my shopping done quickly without driving out of my way too far. The service at this REI is exceptional, with the staff fully prepared to help me with any item, common or random, with a great amount of knowledge. Whether is it hiking shoes or kayaks, bikes or climbing gear, or even power bars and backpacks, the staff is always ready to help. I also enjoy that they are not always pushing the most expensive items to me, instead working on giving me the best item. I never have to wait in line, as their registers are fully staffed. The store is fully stocked, more-so than other REI's, which is wonderful, as who wants to have to go to store after store looking for items. I love their club, and their garage sales are insane. Their very liberal return policy is great for the customer on both ends, if you're dissatisfied, or a product breaks, they take it back, and if they can, they resell that item for cheaper to members are a garage sale. Last garage sale, I saw a headband that said "did not work" (this was the reason a customer returned it) which just seems impossible and silly, but at only a few dollars, was well worth it, and I'm here to tell you, that headband works fine on my head. read more

Of course it's a little expensive, it's REI. But the products are quality and they come with a lifetime warranty and the employees are helpful whenever I have a question. Sometimes their selection is a little limited but what they don't have in store, they can look (1) in other stores and/or (2) online. read more

Mr. Logical and I were here to buy some supplies for an upcoming trip. The sales associates here were amazing! They were very knowledgable about their products and made great recommendations when we explained what we were looking for. They didn't even try to push the most expensive products, and wrote ideas down so we could look for things they didn't have at other stores. Very impressed, and we will return! read more

Great service.. spent a few hours with us picking out a new hybrid bike, bike rack, and bike trailer. Although they did get our order wrong after we paid for it and 2 weeks later we are still waiting..can't hook up the bikes to the jeep just yet. read more

I had a seriously disappointing experience at the REI store in Columbia, Md today. A manager was too busy and too unconcerned to make a difference. A call to corporate resulted in "lip-service" and the promise of a call from yet another store manager tomorrow. Not buying it and I'm not at all happy. My issue remains unresolved and could have been easily put to rest. read more

After four visits over the past year or so, I feel that the unpleasant attitude wasn't just a bad day or a single associate. It's this location. read more

I brought my snowboard in to get the bindings adjusted and my snowboard waxed. Rogan provided EXCELLENT customer service from the second I walked in the door. He helped me the entire process and provided great information about snowboarding in general after I told him I am a beginner. He was knowledgeable and all around a great help. Made my first trip to REI a good one!! read more

I don't go here often, but I needed to find "man" gifts this year. I walked in, and was immediately greeted by a nice, friendly, informative sales person. I told him was I was looking for, and he helped me find a pretty cool gift for my nephew (I sure hope he likes it). I love gadgets, and this is one of the coolest places to find them. I'll go back when I am looking for something unusual. read more

This place has everything for your outdoor needs very friendly staff and a awesome selection of emergency and survival items. Highly recommend you stop and check this place out. read more

Well stocked store with everything you need for camping and hiking. Very clean. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I'm making hiking one of my hobbies, so I'll be sure to come back! read more

I always love coming in this store. This is like my first go to when it comes to running shoes, protein bars etc. The staff is always friendly and ready to help and listen. I found a nice older lady who really helped me about the running and what i should do and invest in shoes. I am now running and enjoying it thanks to her and another young man in the shoe department. Very nice team read more

Already an avid day hiker, I needed a new pack for some backcountry backpacking. I already knew REI was the place to go and they did not disappoint. Chris spent almost two hours with me fitting 2 different packs so that I could compare them for fit and comfort. He shared tons of information with me and tips and tricks for this new size of pack that feels very different than my little Osprey Talon 22. Then he helped me find the perfect sleeping pad- even calling over another associate with a bit more knowledge of what might be perfect for my needs. They debated/discussed and asked me questions. Both of them were super focused on helping me get the best combination of comfort, durability and lightest weight for my needs. I might be able to find cheaper online or at other places, but this kind of service brings me back every time. I would rather by perfect the first time than mediocre and need to return it. read more

nice NORTHFACE selection if your a NORTHFACE fanboy .. they need more boot or hiking shoe selection though.

It's a nice store with a good selection of outdoor equipment and a pretty helpful staff. Normally I would give them at least 4 stars, but I had a pretty unpleasant experience with them yesterday. I am a member of their co-op. Last week I got a card for my annual dividend credit and a coupon for 20% off an item. It came in handy because I was getting ready to guy a new bike and I needed a rack to get it home, so I went to REI to buy the rack with my coupon. Upon arriving at the checkout and presenting the coupon I was told that the coupon didn't start until Friday. I was asked if I wanted to still buy the rack or come back in two days. The coupon was saving me 60 bucks, so I wasn't going to buy it without the coupon. I asked her if they could honor it anyway, since the rack wasn't on sale and would be the same price on Friday, and I really needed it that day. She said that people had been coming in all day with that coupon and the manager wasn't budging. Now granted, it was my fault that I did not look at the coupon. I assumed it was good when I received it last week. I'm sure it has an expiration date, but I knew I wasn't at that point. Many retailers even honor expired coupons. I'm amazed that this store wouldn't honor this one 2 days early, especially when these coupons only go to their co-op members, who pay for that benefit. So now I have to wait until Friday to get my bike rack and pick up my bike. For a company that seems to pride itself on being green, I have to get in my car and burn more gas to buy something I could have just bought while I was there. I think that's pretty ridiculous. read more

This is one of the better REI stores. I live near the one in Rockville, but because that one only caters to city folks (lots of yuppy clothing and overpriced accessories) I trek out here when I need something. They don't always have exactly what I want, but I have never left without getting the item I needed. read more

Good people, quality products, and fair market prices. REI doesn't sell crap so their stuff is not cheap, but it's built to last.

My dog displayed a new skill today in REI - immediately quieting crying children with a lick on the face! Then we were promptly asked to leave the store, since it's dangerous to have dogs in the store. Somehow, calming crying children is dangerous now. It was clarified that if I was purchasing something for Riley, like doggie shoes or a doggie life jacket, then he'd be allowed to stay. apparently dogs are also less dangerous when spending money on them. I never thought REI made its decisions solely on the basis of making a buck, and am sorry to be proven wrong. read more