A few Sundays ago, I was in the Spadina-Queen Street West area. I walked by this MEC on my way to…read morean eatery for lunch. Walking back to my car after lunch, I decided to stop by this store and check it out. I like MEC. On the first floor, freeze-dried food was in front of me. Pad thai sounded great. I then saw electrolyte tablets and waffles. If you are looking for a water bottle, there are lots to choose from. From Hydro Flask, to MEC's own line, you can find something that will suit your hydration needs. I saw lots of camping items. Tents. Cookware. LED lanterns. This store has everything imaginable. The downside is that I didn't see any sales items. I find it expensive to shop here, especially post-co-op memberships. There are two floors to this store. You can take the stairs or find the elevator. I didn't buy anything. However, it was nice to browse. (433)

The worst online customer service; they have a chat function that clearly doesn't work. After tons…read moreof waiting, they ask you to email. Which they also haven't replied to (almost a month for an order that's 'PROCESSING'...). Annoying.

We didn't come looking for anything specific, just to look around. Anytime I'm in a Sport Chek, I…read moresee what Raptors' apparel they have. There wasn't much at this store. While looking around, we saw a clothing rack with a lot of clothing on sale. Sifting through it, I found a couple items to try on. There weren't any employees by the fitting rooms, though. I had to ask another employee to find the one working in that particular section to unlock the changing room door. The employee that came was apologetic, as she was on the far side of that section. When it came time to pay, there was one customer at the counter talking through something with the cashier, and it seemed like it would take a while. There was another customer in front of us in line, and she had many items. We ended up going upstairs to the cashier on the ground floor.

Nice sport chek Bit dark though…read moreWhen they have a nice sale it's best Full price is $$$ (online & US better prices)

Lole does remind me of Lululemon. I think a lot of people would have seen the similarity…read more Lole is Canadian sport wear brand that started in Montreal. Lole is into environmental friendly products. That even reflect in their deco, the real plant wall at the front of the store. A lot of their products and clothings are made of recycled products. Imagine wearing a winter jacket that is made of 100% recycled polyester from post-consumer plastic bottles?!!! They are at $350 but now on sale at 25% off..... Aside from sport wears and active wears, Lole also has casual everyday clothes...but the price may not be for everyone! I will have to wait for a SALE.......

I have been to this location a few times and all of the employees are really friendly and helpful…read more They go above and beyond to grab you sizes from the store and give you advice on what looks best on you. I really like Lole's bags. The Lily bag is my favourite and it is a side bag, laptop bag and backpack all in one. I used this bag while traveling and it was absolutely fantastic! It truly was the perfect carry on and I love how I can use it for work and pleasure. Yoga Mats: The lole Air Mat is my favourite but their cheaper glow yoga mat isn't the best if you practice hot yoga. Apparel: I really like Lole's leisure line as they have some really nice casual pieces. I'm not a huge fan of their athletic wear because the bottoms are see through when you bend over. I have big hips and I find Lole products are made for people who don't have hips. Their workout tops are okay but they also are made for people who don't have curves. If you are curvy, I highly recommend you stick to the casual line and opt for their accessories.

It's all about the staff at this store…read more They are friendly, knowledgeable and fair. Needed to regear my kiddo for skating season and they were fantastic. Offering up used or new options and walkingbua through pros and cons of different models. Very helpful and easy going, with stock that seems to turn over very very fast ( and 3 times in days looking for items and there were new options available on each visit!) A bit hidden off the main street but worth the drive Highly recommend checking them out for kiddo gear as they grow out of sizes at. a rapid rate!

Great service at this place! Wow, just talk loud enough to be heard over the din of over-dressed…read morepeople sweating it out finding the best of a specific size skate or length of snowboard or ski. This should be your first stop if you would like to experiment with any kind of sport since the staff is knowledgeable and used to dealing with first timers. Silly questions won't bother them, they are accustomed to it. Prices are very reasonable and they take trade-ins of your old gear. At least they will take their used gear back the next day or the next season if you want to trade up or get a different size. Then you will only pay the difference and help support the store with renewed stock, a very cool idea! So there you go - no excuses when someone says, 'Let's go skating!'

Poor selection of bike clothing. Things I could have bought here years ago (Fox shorts, MEC vests)…read moreare no longer carried. Staff are pleasant and helpful. Management is awful. If you want a decent warranty on faulty stuff, try REI, Costco, Tilley Endurables, Arc'teryx. I knew MEC was in trouble and had lost their principles when they told me a good bike costs $2,000. Ranking them vs Sporting Life and REI, I'd put MEC 5th out of 3.

My partner and I visited Mountain Equipment Company, and I was impressed with their selection of…read morebicycles. I am not a a cycling enthusiast (that's my partner's hobby); however I was blown away by the models, brands, and styles on display...great price for great quality. The staff were friendly, approachable, and knowledgeable..They took the time to assist my partner and offered expert advice and guidance on Mountain bikes accessories whereas I was more focused on road bikes (still learning). Overall, I had a great experience. So whether you are a seasoned cyclist or just starting out like me, you should come check this place out.

Arc'teryx Beta AR -- Fails Durability Expectations…read more I expected the Arc'teryx Beta AR to last, especially at this price. Instead, all my jackets developed zipper delamination and seam‑tape failure, despite minimal use and proper storage. There is no wear anywhere else, which makes it obvious the failure is in the materials and construction, not the user. Arc'teryx Warranty dismissed the issue and offered only 20% of the original price if I surrendered the jackets. They refused proper repairs, even if I paid. This does not meet the standard of reasonable durability that consumers expect -- especially from a brand that markets itself as the best in the industry. I'll be posting this experience on consumer platforms so others can make informed decisions. Premium pricing should come with premium durability and a responsible warranty -- Arc'teryx failed on both.

Arc'teryx has a funky name related to a dinosaur but instead of having a dubious future, they…read moreinsist that you will be ready for any apocalypse at least the weather generated ones. Need a jacket that looks stylish yet can ward off torrential rains? They have it. Footwear looks amazing and the colours and textures set them apart making MEC look like the Wal Mart of outdoor clothes. Awesome.

National Sports has changed a ton over the years. I still remember when it was essentially a giant…read moreopen warehouse with designated spaces where you could try out your new hockey stick and cages where you could take a few swings with a new bat. It might not have these active places but they still carry a ton of athletic apparel and gear at hugely discounted rates. The store is sectioned off into two main spaces. The first part where you enter holds the checkout area and all of your sporting and outdoor needs. They have stuff for men's, women's, and junior's. The entire middle section of the store is tables and tables of shoes that are separated by size and out of the box. They have a lot of good brands like Nike, Asics, New Balance, and UnderAmour to name a few. Everything is already at a pretty good price but there is a clearance section on the left wall of the store as well. I spotted some nice pieces from The North Face but they were still a bit pricey. The other part of the store is their licensed apparel and goods section for all of the Toronto teams including the Leafs, Jays, Raptors, and TFC. Outside of the normal team wear, there were framed and signed Leafs jerseys, framed Raps home finals tickets (replica), and collectibles like tiny lego Leafs players, and team flags for hanging and cars. This area also had a special kiosk for customizable jerseys here for all of the major sports. I was surprised to see that they had some jerseys and hats for other NFL/NBA/NHL teams and some of the bigger soccer teams as well. I had come looking for some Raptors wear at a lower price. They didn't have any jerseys and some of the shirts looked a little cheaper than what you find online at the official NBA store but I managed to find a nice sweatshirt and a hat that fit my head pretty well. They were having a 20% off sale on lowest ticketed price of a lot of the licensed team merchandise when I was browsing, so I wound up getting both for $50 after tax.

Make space on your credit cards, you're going to need it!…read more This store is your typical National Sports only bigger, except one fantastic feature, the Clearance Section. I'm not talking about 1 rack, I'm talking the size of the regular price side of the store. It's overwhelming. This is the place for deals on EVERYTHING. Jackets, shoes, shorts and all things sports. My man and I come here to get clothes to wear on vacation, swimsuits, shorts, tanks, etc all year round at insanely low prices. Sizes can be limited, but you WILL find something. I refuse to get a cart, because I will fill it.

Patagonia is an amazing brand. Sustainable and fashion forward. Ethical and even donates profits to…read morenoble causes. They also have a great warranty period. It's a lifetime warranty with the iron clad guarantee. Service in store is so personable and friendly - I really appreciated all the Help I had here. P.S. holiday season better sweaters are selling our fast. They didn't have any mediums left. I'll definitely be back to shop this Patagonia store!

Patagonia is an incredible brand that never disappoints. I own many Patagonia items and I am always…read moreamazed by the quality. I recently went into the Toronto store as my down jacket had a tear in the zipper. The team at the reception desk immediately went into problem solve mode and offered a solution. They shipped the jacket off to their warehouse and I asked them to ship it to me when fixed. A few weeks after this happened I received a call from Julie at the store who confirmed the coat was fixed and she offered to drop it off at my home (instead of mailing which would take longer). I was amazed by this level of service and I have been telling everyone I know about this experience. Keep doing what your doing Patagonia and big thanks to Julie for going above and beyond!!