REI has something for everyone if you are looking for outdoor gear. We dropped in to get some rope for a tubing trip we're going on in a few weeks - there's 15 of us and we're going to tie our tubes together to leisurely float down the river without getting separated. They reorganized the store so it took me some time to find the rope by the foot section. I asked one of the employees where it was and instead of directing me to the area, he walked me there which was nice - I actually never would have found it since it was so small. There was another associate there who answered my question, "This will hold 15 tubes together floating down a river right?" so I ordered 60 feet. He took my order and said he would go cut it in the back and find me in the store. While I was waiting for my rope to get cut, I started shopping for a rain jacket - again employee helpfulness shined. I wanted something lightweight and waterproof - this is easier said than done. Do I want to prioritize lightweight or waterproofness was the question I was asked...waterproofness for sure. So the guy explained the different fabrics that make up rain coats - some are permeable and will eventually leak through while others are made of a membrane that will protect from the elements. I tried on some options - the one I wanted wasn't in stock (Arc Tery'x Beta AR Hybrid) so I tried on another one in the size I needed (large). Will likely order it online because it was NIIIIIIICE. I've been a member of REI for a while and will continue shopping there for all my outdoor needs. read more

Expensive, but they have a lot of good stuff. Its like Best Buy now...go here to 'field test' the item, then go on-line to try and find it cheaper. And NO, I don't want to join your stupid rewards club!!! :-) read more

My boyfriend and I are starting to get into hiking, so we thought we'd try REI. The people there are are so patient, even after trying on so many pairs! They took the time to make sure we got exactly what we needed. Even the lady at check out was so nice! They really care about their customers, which is a rarity nowadays. The REI membership was also awesome, we got $40 off our purchase from previous dividends! Definitely going back for any outdoor needs (even over Amazon) :) read more

I have been faithful to REI for over 20 years. I used to recommend to everyone I knew. Return policy was excellent, customer service excellent. Not so much anymore. The customer service is still excellent, product quality has decreased by a lot and items are overpriced. When I returned items due to quality I was sent a menacing letter that I'm returning too many items ordered online. This was surprising- never have I received such an interesting letter about needing to return items - especially when the quality was shoddy and the returns were within a few days of purchase. My resolve has been to shop elsewhere. I found that Mountain Warehouse has far better pricing and quality is on par with some of REI's products depending on what you're looking for (clothing is on par for the most part). Also, I've found better items online comparing with various competitive brands and reading reviews (gear). I do miss the old REI I knew. Maybe with time and customer reviews they will get back to improving their product quality and competitive pricing that used to be part of their company staple. read more

Love getting lost in the aisles of REI. Staff is always friendly and well informed. Just went in to find winter outdoor wear and was happily surprised to be able to strike a couple other things off my to do list including updating my yoga mat, a diverse collection of protein bars and a green environment toy for my godson. Plus I got the membership card for discount on future purchases and services. Just wish the water bottle collection was more diverse to include large size, double insulated BPA-free water bottles. read more

REI - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

I went to this REI location a year go to buy the Novara brand folding bike for my commute. I am familiar with many REI stores across the country (Los Angeles, the mother ship in Seattle, Michigan, etc.) and this store is middle of the road. I went in, having done my research on what I wanted and the equipment I needed. The first person that helped me was really nice and tried hard, but didn't know as much as I did about their products. Finally, that person grabbed someone more familiar with the bike section and folding bikes and the second person was way more helpful. I ended up buying the bike that day and have been happy with the purchase. I returned a few months later to buy some foul weather bike commuting gear and again, was really happy with the help I received. The same helpful bike lady was there and she helped me pick out gear that fit my budget and my body. The only reason I am reserving the fifth star is usually the employees' level of knowledge about REI products is much higher and trainees or new hires are much quicker to admit lack of knowledge than I have experienced at this store. Despite that, this store is a good source for outdoor gear. read more

If you're not willing to pay extra money to get good service in the form of a membership, expect to be treated like a second class citizen. They'll spend 2 seconds telling you they can't help you then another 5 to get you to become a member. read more

Great overall experience looking for hiking boots. Keith did an excellent job assisting me while the footwear department was busy. He was very informative and locked me in as a REI member. read more

This is my first review. Only opened a yelp account bc of my experience yesterday. Purchased bike tires online from another store. I've changed tires before but these race tires were something else. After struggling for over 45 minutes and breaking a tire lever I was just so over it. It was close to 8pm and REI was the only bike shop open. I knew REI would be closing in less then an hour . Went in thinking I would be dropping my bike off and waiting a few days. I walk back to the bike shop and tell the person there my problems and how frustrated I was. Well to my surprise he says he could do it now. Wish I remembered his name, guy in a hat. lol. Asked him if I could watch, and he said yea. Showed me how and what tools I needed. Even had the really cool tool in stock. Fixed my loose spoke as well. Awesome service. Don't know many bike shops that would help a biker out like that. This will be my bike shop from now on. read more

If I could give it a zero I would! I purchased an umbrella from rei .. and first time using it it was completely dysfunctional; was not even windy and it flipped while the umbrella did not even stay opened. I was poured on and it ruined my night! I went to go return it with not only a lack of an apology but instead given a bad attitude! For the prices, customer service is simply UNACCEPTABLE!!!!! Rude! What a waste of time and money! read more

Went to the store to pick up an item on hold. Kylie assisted me at the register and she was great providing recommendations of places to visit in the area. Thank you, Kylie. read more

Amazing customer service. I don't like to make returns but one time I bought a bag of beef jerky that I did not like and they eagerly accepted my request to return it. The staff's product knowledge is impressive and helpful. I wish they had a larger selection of Arc'teryx but I'm pretty happy otherwise. Thanks for all the continued support REI! read more

Michael was amazing! He helped me fix the bike post on my bike so hopefully I'll be able to ride easier now. I'm very new to bike riding and I loved how he was very helpful but did not try to force me to buy items I didn't need. Micheal was so amazing that when we checked out, we decided to become REI co-op members. We look forward to coming back to this store again. read more

Drove 90 minutes to check out some trekking poles for a Mother's Day gift. Couldn't find them so I walked around trying to find an employee that wasn't with a customer to ask. Finally found one and said "Excuse me sir, May I ask you a quick question" - this old man kept walking then turned around and snarled and said 'what did you say' so I said " I just have a quick question, where are the.." as he cut me off and said 'no I'm busy getting a bike down.' and rolled his eyes as he walked away. I said "wow man that was really ignorant" and he started rambling as I walked away. Very disappointed as a co-op member. What a waste of a day! read more

I love REI. Have been going there for almost 20 years getting the outdoor gear I need. Most the locations I shop at are fantastic and have very knowledgable staff that are helpful beyond measure. Sadly, this location is not the norm for REI. I went in a few weeks ago looking to get a new lightweight tent to go hike the Appalachian Trail this summer. The sales person helping me knew way more about hiking the AT since she did it last year. It was great getting to know her and hear what she recommended. She ended up talking me into getting a lighter pack and sleeping system too. After we were done in that part of the store I went to get some clothing and the sales person put my tent/pack/bag/pad on hold for me. That was great...or so I thought. I made my way to the cashier and told them what I had on hold but they couldn't find a single item that I had gotten. I asked the cashier if he could double check but he just snapped back at me that he just looked and I didn't put anything on hold. I asked to talk to a manager so he called her over. Even more disappointment once she came over. I explained what happened with the cashier and not having my items. She said he had been with the store longer than any other cashier so she doubts he was rude in any manner and I was mistaken. This manager, Kristen, asked me what items I had and offered to go get them for me. I told her the Big Agnes tent and sleeping bag, and the Osprey pack. She came back with an REI 6 person base camping tent, a CamelBak pack, and a Eureka bag. She got nothing right and tried to tell me that these are all great products that would fit my needs. She never asked what my intended use of the products was going to be. She told me that if I bought a second membership for my dog most of my issues wouldn't of came up even. The sales person that helped in camping was awesome! She knew everything about all the products and has used most of the stuff she sells. I don't remember her name but it was something unique. The cashier was utterly rude and disrespectful. The manager was absolutely unaware of the products that are sold in the store. She has no sense of customer service and can barely look you in the eye when she talks to you. I won't be going back here unless my friends tell me there is a new manager in place that knows how to run a business. It is worth the 10 mile drive over to Tysons to deal with a better ran store. read more

I went to REI to buy a solo bike rack. The associate immediately replied saying the cheapest bike rack they have on site is $150. First, I don't recall giving him a price range. Second, I asked for a solo bike rack; why would I pay $150 for a solo bike rack? Needless to say the sales associate appeared incompetant to what I was expressing to him. Annoyed and beyond frustrated I left the store vowing to cancel their stupid membership I was most unfortunate of paying for a few months ago. read more

Do not stand behind 100% guarantee. Nobody manages lines at register. Prepare to wait while employees mill about doing nothing. Be prepared to be ripped on price Go look around, then buy elsewhere online read more

I looked up an item on the site, and checked for local store availability. It said that it was in stock (not low stock) so I trudged through holiday traffic and parked in the 15 minute parking. I mean, I was just going to breeze in and out, right? Wrong. It turns out that they didn't have this item all day, as someone else had tried to also purchase it that morning. So, it was a total waste of a trip and a lot of time. How's that for a green company? Having customers burn gas for no reason is pretty uncool. I ended up ordering online and getting it shipped to the Bailey's Crossroads store instead, which is what I should have done in the first place. read more

I went in there a few months ago to buy a pair of flip-flops in the Vibram toe shoes for vacation the prices are very competitive customer service is outstanding I would highly recommend the store to anyone that loves the outdoors. It is way better than dicks sporting goods and bass pro even her of their selection is very small but yet competitive. It is very clean inside the staff is very friendly. read more

We bought a beautiful bike from REI recently. We are very happy with the purchase. The staff was very helpful. I am a REI member. I buy staff in store and online. Every time I return the things that I bought online, the staff was very patient and no problem at all. read more

Ohh REI. How I love you. First off, they offer 10% back on all purchases if you're a member...A membership is a one time $20 fee...Well worth it. Second, they have probably the BEST customer service out of any store I have ever been to....They take back pretty much anything you purchase form them, and their staff is very knowledgeable. Third, and most important.Two words: garage sales. I've picked up so many things from them for SO cheap due to the littlest defects...$30 off a pair of pants because the pocket ripped...$5 worth of liquid stitch and I made out like a bandit. They're probably the greatest thing ever. read more

I would give them zero stars if I could. Don't be swindled into buying their membership. Not only will they spam you daily but they do not honor their claim that if you purchase something you are protected from defective products and they will replace them. In my case it was shoes that were very expensive which I got 6 months out of. Not only did they look me right in the eye and claim it was normal "wear and tear " they were pretty rude about it as well. The manager outrighted smirked at me. It is really hard to believe that it would have been difficult for them to be kind in the very least but also replace the shoes. They could have made me a customer for life but instead I will not return. Well done. read more

In theory I should love REI, but every time I've gone there to buy something I always strike out. I'll call and ask if they carry something, they'll tell me of course they have blank they have tons of blank. Yet, I'll get there and once again be dissapointed in the lack of selection. I've had this happen specifically with ski pants and trail running shoes but have also perused the selection of clothing and workout wear and have found a dissapointing array of sizes. They'll be chock full of XS and L and XL but not a whole lot of S and M. They also tend to run away from us when we try to go in with our kiddos, which on one hand I understand but on the other, if we had someone help us out we'd be able to get out of there a lot faster LOL. Oddly enough I've had better luck with getting sales help at Dick's. read more

I went there to buy some yoga mats. They don't have a lot in stock, but they do have high quality ones. The problem is with the service. I went to the cashier to pay, and the cashier lady asked me if I had a REI membership card. I said no. I've only shopped here once, and doubt I will return that often to really see the card any use except to add onto my key chain of shopping cards. She asks if I want one, I'd be... blah blah blah. I politely decline. She looks at me shocked and her tone switches to "I think you're an idiot not to get a card." while she's nagging at me that I should get one because it would save me money later on. NO THANKS LADY. I'm only planning to come here once, and after this experience it's going to stay at one time. read more

I had a great experience at the bike repair shop here. I was going to ride 15 miles the next day and I took in my mountain bike yesterday for a brake problem. The cycle repair shop technicians were very friendly, knowledgeable and willing to help me. They fixed my brakes, adjusted the tire pressure, aligned my tires, greased the gears, all the time giving me great advice and suggestions on seat height adjustments to accessories for my bike that I was looking for. All in all he spent 10-15 minutes on my bike, and he didn't accept my offer to pay for their time, since the brake fix and tuneup was relatively minor. Very difficult to top that for customer service. I buy more things at REI just for this kind of exceptional service. Its a bit of a drive for me to get there, but well worth it in my opinion. read more

I must have visited this place on a slow day where there was few staff, but still even when busy employees should acknowledge customers. I was looking at hats for a safari and couldn't decide what was the best one for the trip. And the nearest employee was a young woman in the shoe dept. Now I know that dept can be busy, but at least offer to help someone that is not looking at shoes. I got much better help from an employee at the Baileys Crossroads store. read more

Bought a winter jacket on a double dividend sale (20% extra off). Asked sales associate AND cashier if jacket qualified and was told yes, and that if it did not show up on my account to bring receipt back to store and I would be taken care of. Did not receive the double dividend on my year end statement and went back to the store with receipt. I was treated very discourteously and talked down to by an associate and the store manager. Told that jacket did not qualify for the dividend. Verbatim what I was told: "I'm sorry that you did not understand our policy" "I'm sorry that you did not read the sign" "I'm sorry that our policy was miscommunicated but as an REI member you should have known..." etc. Asked to escalate the issue and got their customer service number. Although the agent did not talk down to me, she put me on hold and called the local store, who I am sure told her that I was wrong. Got the runaround on who to contact to resolve issue. Called "Retail Operations" dept that was closed. Received a voicemail saying unable to do anything for me. In summary, do not trust what any associate tells you, make sure to research "their policy" read more

I've heard many negative stories of REI salesmen, and today I was utterly shocked after witnessing an unbelievable scene at the store... an 6 foot tall male salesman yelling at a 5 foot female customer, "Life is tough, you have to deal with it, Life is just tough, I cannot help you! Life is just tough!...", while she was walking away and he still yelled at her. I was awed by the treatment this salesman was presenting to a customer, in front of other customers. She obviously looked helpless, and was shaken up by his behavior. She walked fast and tried to get away from him. There are many customers between them now (and I was right there), and he was still yelling. I have many years of experience in retail business, this type of behavior from a salesman is just not tolerable. It is just shocking...This should be a somewhat reputable store. Something to think about... read more

Had a bad customer service experience today. Went on Memorial Day to look at travel containers for the van. Granted they were busy however no one should have to wait 30 min for some assistance. We had a young man tell us I'll be right with you then proceeded to go on break without passing us to someone else to make sure we were taken care of. The ONLY reason he went to find someone else was because I confronted him when he took his vest off. He told me "i already helped 4 other people" The second lady helped us but blew off our complaint. I've worked in retail a long time and know to make sure your customers are taken care of by another associate before you bail. No bueno for being an REI member. :( read more

Update: About a month ago I witnessed customer service excellence, as a customer was upset due to the policy was not what she believed it was, (seemed a non REI employee had told her something incorrectly) but as they young staff lady behind the counter kindly and professionally (not condescending in any way) carefully explained the way it worked, the customer was having none of it...and just became more and more nasty to her. The staff member kept her cool, remained kind, and tried everything to de-escalate the situation. I did not try to listen in, but was in an unfortunate close proximity to the customer at the time, and as the customer was getting worse, we began to watch to see if an intervention might need to occur. The staff member tried so very hard, and multiple times inquired if the customer would step with her away from the other customers to speak more privately at the end of the counter, and calmly, very kindly, repeatedly tried to explain what the options were. I know I have no idea what was going on in the customer's personal life before walking into the store, but that was beyond messed up. You could tell they staff member was emotionally worn/hurt by the encounter, and after the customer stormed out, many of us customers stopped to tell her what an amazingly job she did, and to build her back up after being cruelly torn down! Original review: I never am surprised, but always happy! My wife and I have been shopping at REI for many years, and the staff is wonderful. Their knowledge base varies, some have a general knowledge, but some are beyond the normal level of someone who sells and or likes something. Case and point, this Christmas I built a climbing wall for my wife. I am not a climber, and when I asked an employee about tips, they admitted they have climbed, and know general knowledge, but let me get this other employee over here as they are a REAL climber. The guy helped me immensely, telling me what to get there, what to get that they can't get for me, commenting on my plans, confirming that they looks solid for sure, and where my best selection is for the items they don't carry. I had a second similar experience just two days ago, the guy at the knife counter helped me but ask his coworker over who was a former manager of a great knife store I used to frequent. His knowledge was astonishing! Very helpful. I love these folks, and we keep coming back! read more

Went in several times for climbing gear and purchased a pair of Merrill shoes for work and hiking. Prices are reasonable, and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. I also had credit that carried over from previous purchases, so I got moisture wicking socks for free! read more

These guys are on top of things! They know the products, the pros and cons, and they have educated recommendations for your outdoor needs. This store is the perfect spot for someone who has never been camping before, as well as for the pro thru hikers. Everyone is friendly and shares a joy for experiencing the outdoors, which makes it a positive experience walking through the door from the get go. read more

REI store in Fairfax, VA. The cashers are very rude, no knowledge, and make things very complicated even though it is an easy task. Even the manager does not even know what he is doing to resolve any issues. They just try to put a customer in an awkward situation. The quality of service is getting lower and seriously overrated. read more

Rei's Fairfax VA bicycle department and its associates John, Michael, and Rob are always helpful, professional, and kind. Keep up the great service! read more

Old friends of mine turn me onto REI. I like the quality of their clothing. They give you dividends for each regular price item you buy and then can use for buy more things what I don't like is the sale items don't earn dividends, even the sale prices aren't that low, they should offer dividends all the things they sell on sae or not! It cost me $15 to join but that is lifetime membership. read more

Store has a lot of outdoor stuff in it but don't want to spend that much on hiking stuff. Store was clean and organized.

Well I love REI! The store is always clean and well organized. The staff here is always very knowledgable and friendly. Every time I go here I miss Utah and the great outdoors. read more

The store is clean and they open late. I am very happy with their customer service. I really liked the quality products that we purchased. I am planning to go back whenever I need some more outdoor equipment. read more

Every REI I've shopped at has been outstanding and the REI in Fairfax too! I love these stores and can't find one issue with them if I tried. Friendly professional staff and they are always willing to help. Being an REI member, I enjoy the yearly REI bucks. They carry a huge line of clothing regardless of age or gender. I particularly like the infant/toddler stuff, my son already has a ton of REI swag. read more

REI - 18 October 2014 @ 8am Attic sale ticket line - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

The staff (specifically at the bike shop) is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. When comparing between two bikes -one sold by REI and one sold at another shop- the salesperson concluded that the other bike was probably a better fit and that I shouldn't make my decision without seeing it first. Being new to mountain biking, I really appreciated his honest and unbiased opinion. REI will definitely be my first stop for outdoors equipment from now on. Their return policy is great also. P.S. You should consider joining the co-op for their specials and events. read more