REI Reviews

The king of all outdoor stores. Visit it or regret not visiting later.

Disappointed now merchandise to compare (understand with current economic situation) but didn't have even a sample of the tents that I wanted to compare. On top of this two associates knew nothing of the product! The third one was a little more about the two items but still not the expert that as a long time rei member I expect.

Excellent selection, great service, and helpful staff.

Great selection and customer service. This store is one of the bigger REI stores.

Weird customer service experience with bikes. Was abandoned by tech (waited 10 min) none of the other workers there volunteered to help me. Ended up choosing test ride bikes on my own and asking for my liscence back. Weird. TBH they did know I was just test riding so maybe that impacts things. When I finally saw the original guy he remarked that 'someone didn't write that down' when I told him I test rode the other bike. Second time running into men working at REI whose primary concern was rules and liability rather than customer service. Young mech was more personable. Ppl were nice when I cornered them and demanded service. Very 'Seattle'.

The staff is extremely knowledgable and I love renting stuff there to try out new activities.

Very good selection and high quality gear. Very helpful in every department.

Big store & everything you need. Purchased America the Beautiful senior lifetime pass.

Well... For a outdoorsy person, this place is absolute heaven. They have everything you could possibly need with all the sections well organized and fully stocked. And of course, the staff is more than helpful and knowledgeable about anything located on site. I make just about all of my outdoor purchases here.

Also, parking is free for the first hour in their lot located underneath the store.

Give it a go. You won't regret it!

While I do realize that they're interested in making a profit like any other retailer, it nevertheless feels okay to spend money here. The staff is always knowledgeable and passionate about outdoors, so it seems worthwhile to support their livelihood.

This store is incredible. They have a huge climbing tower right in front. The grounds outside with tall trees and streams make you forget you are in the city. You won't find a better variety of items so this is truly one stop shopping for any camping trip. They have rental options for equipment. The most unique thing is a station that is manned by the forest service. You can have all your questions answered about parks, trails, and services.

It's the REI flagship. Two floors, a climbing wall, a bicycle test trail, and more maps than you can shake a trekking pole at. If you like outdoors gear, get in here.

Great place for camping gear outdoor activity clothes extremely friendly staff

REI is a really cool shrine to all things outdoorsy. They have a waterfall outside, a trail for testing bikes, a climbing wall, and a giant fireplace inside. The selection is unparalleled from hiking boots to winter coats to avalanche survival kits. Prices can be on the higher side but nowhere else will you find such a huge selection. They even have a small hiking trail to test new boots on!

Biggest store around. Quite an entrance with waterfall. Staff is very helpful and knowledgeable. Pretty good sales too.

One of the main reasons I choose to shop in store is to get help from the sales associates picking out items that I'm not familiar with. In the past, REI has been great for this, but the last several times I've been to the store, I was never approached by anyone, had to aggressively flag someone down to get help, and was then met by somewhat un-interested sales staff. The flagship store itself is beautiful, and the quality of their products is really good. I just wish the staff was more helpful given the additional premium their products cost over online competitors.

A great place if you re looking to spend some money. Most times deals are better found online.

I used to work at the Redmond REI, so it's a bit of an addiction. They have a huge selection of stuff, from Arc'Teryx to Columbia, and the store is incredibly well set up.

If you're looking for a deal and have some time, check out the garage sales. This is when returned gear is resold at steep discount, with tags explaining why each piece was returned. The Seattle REI just keeps everything in a sale area in an area underneath the cycling gear (go to cycling, it's to the right of the gear counter) but most stores have garage sale events. Choose wisely, but I've left with $10 trekking poles with no wear.

If you shop there more than once in your lifetime, just shell out for the membership. It's $20 as a one-time fee, and you'll make that back the first time you buy ski gear or a tent. (And members get to climb the Redmond Pinnacle for free on the weekends.)

It is not a cheap store, but the staff rock and know their stuff, and the return policy is stellar. Follow the sales, shop wisely, and try the Pinnacle at least once.

REI as a store cant be any better. They always have what im after, and there products are usually of high quality. As most Hiking/Camping gear, things can be quite expensive.

Diverse selection of outdoors gear and friendly staff. Other stores in the area may have a better selection of more sports specific gear (e.g. Feathered Friends across the street for climbing gear), but you can't beat REI for the broad selection and good prices.

Lots of cool, but expensive, stuff. Climbing wall was neat.

Amazing place...never seen an outdoor store like it...the mecca of REIs

Breezy cool open spaces, non-comforming irrational easy to view product aisleways, super so like your friends employees that it's not a chore or drain but an escape to gear up and get on with it.

Not sure how they'd fix it but don't do curbside pickup. Waited an hour in a line around the block on Saturday

Beautiful store! Don't recommend eating there, but there's a great coffee shop across the street. Merchandises at the store are very pricey, so make sure to shop around.

Huge flagship store. Wander the natural area out front before checking out all the gear inside.

A little pricey, but they have great customer service!

I parked at the REI and tried to get my car after hours. The company said they can't send anyone, as the guy with the keys is out of the area.
Edit: after about 5 calls and being hung up on 3, a driver comes out and I leave with my car. So it isn't all terrible

Always a great shopping experience. Well informed and friendly staff.

The staff here are great! Very knowledgeable about the gear.

They have redesigned the upstairs and I am not as much a fan of the layout. Still love the space and the retail crew is fantastic

An outdoor shop in the forest. There are quite a lot of merchandise, but it's a little hard to see. A shop where you can enjoy the atmosphere of Seattle.

Best outdoor store. It's happiness incarnate. So many awesome products. It's really fun even to just window shop

Easy parking, though need to pay. Large selection in all depts. Very helpful staff.

I am a proud REI member from Brazil. REI Seattle is heaven on earth, outstanding costumer service!

Prime example of why I'm loyal to REI. We had a pair of cold weather boots that we bought 14 years ago from North Face fail. The plastic used became brittle and shattered on the toe. North face was unwilling to warranty the boots. REI stepped up and refunded us in full!!! This is the ultimate test of their commitment to excellence and quality products. We bought over $550 of additional gear their today with no worry about making further purchases there.
Rus & Jeanie Iida

Bike shop is not very explanatory about what they do on a warranty service. I'll be nice if they actually list everything on the service.

Went in to inspect some various sized coolers. Very helpful to hold them and get a sense for the size dimensions. Attentive staff answered several non-obvious questions with grace. Will be a member for life.

More incredible gear than I know what to do with, fantastic employees, and member only discounts that immediately pay for the one time $20 fee for a lifetime membership.

A very, very happy customer.

10/10, would REI again.

Store is good. Customer care is awful. Do not ever buy gift cards for this store. They not secure enough against fraud. If money gone, nobody in store will help.

Came for open climb on Friday at 1:30pm just like the website said. The crew told us "it is not really at 1:30 but thereare openings at 2pm." Then talked about getting lunch since they just had a private class. Why is it on the website on a different time?

Pretty much always have everything in stock, staff are friendly and you know they care just as much about the outdoors as you do. A couple times it's been busy and it took a while for someone to approach me when I was looking for something, but definitely no stain on the name.

Also, GO TO THE GARAGE SALES.

Didnt Have what I was looking for, knee pads for sailors

Awesome service as always! Had to return one item and pick up another. Process was smooth from start to finish and I appreciate that they were enforcing masks and social distancing. 10/10!

The Mothership! The REI that all others should hold themselves to. I loved all the product not normally found at other locations.

Ellie helped us with hiking boots, she was patient, knowledgeable, and a bright spot in our day! We will be back!

I love REI. Didn't care for the food I got at the World Wrap upstairs though.

Fantastic selection, great staff.
Excellent
Expect nothing less than perfection at the ground zero iconic Seattle store.

Almost had me convinced that I need a puffy quilted jacket in a boring color. 1 star deducted for trickery.

Great REI, tons of clothing and lots selections in all areas!

Great store, huge selection, great customer service

First time going in today to find some hiking boots and had a great experience. The shoe department personnel are very knowledgeable and were able to find the perfect fit! Even the cashiers are very welcoming a friendly.

Beautiful layout. Tons of gear. Lots of space to climb, ride, and pitch a tent before you buy it. Very knowledgeable team.

I love this store. Always clean and available parking. Never had an issue with staff with shopping or during an event. The rock wall is super fun. The staff at the rock wall is REALLY helpful and kind.

Never a bad time had here! Super friendly service and great selection. Very expensive though.

Best costumer service I ever got. Other REI locations never took that much time and effort into giving a good service. The guy was very knowledgeable

Staff are friendly and helpful, and selection and layout are great!

This is the iconic REI... in the world. First hour of parking in the garage is free, whether you purchase anything or not.

REI's flagship store is a great place to shop for outdoor gear. It's very convenient to have a ranger station in the store for permits and advice.

Good selection of gloves, and very helpful salesperson.