Besides clothing, the snowboard/ski equipment is really lacking. The prices are also a little high compared to other local sports shops but other than that, REI is great. The customer service is what really keeps me coming back; they're both knowledgeable and helpful. Stock some snowboard gear and this place will get 5* from me. --W read more

Extremely helpful, patient, knowledgable and friendly staff. Examples: 1. I'm preparing for JMT. Last week, I went in looking for a bag pack that fit me for the trip. An older gentleman REI employee (don't remember name!) spent a great deal of time trying to find one that fit me. Although we could not find one that fit me that evening, he spent time explaining and teaching me how to use the bags. The bags that he wanted me to try on were not in stock that day. He printed out the two Osprey bags he wanted me to try on when those two bags were in stock. On Saturday, another REI employee, Seth helped me find a bag pack that fit me for the trip. We tried Osprey and Gregory to no avail. He eventually recommended Deuter and it fit me quite well. I ended up getting the Deuter. He was very patient. He helped me try on bags, adjusted, re-adjusted, taught me how to use the straps and buckles over and over again. He helped me even after his shift was over. I think he spent 45 minutes to an hour helping me. Very grateful for that. 2. On Tuesday evening, we returned to REI because my dad's Osprey bag's sternum buckle fell off. They did not have the buckle in stock; however, the REI employee understood that this was an urgent matter and went into the back room to find buckles that could fit our bag. Luckily, we found a match. I can't remember the REI employee's name who helped us, but he had short blonde hair-red hair. What I really appreciated about this was that he took our sense of urgency seriously and didn't blow it off even though the store was about to close in 15 minutes. 3. We also needed a footprint for our tent. A female REI employee helped us find something to match the specific measurements of our tent. She was really helpful too. The reason I took off one star was that they do not have too much in stock. If they had more in stock, they could probably better serve their customers. However, having said that, the employees really try to work with that issue and are creative in their attempts to help the customers the best that they can. Excellent return policy as well. What makes REI stand out to me is that not only do they seem to genuinely care about the needs of the customers and try to help, but they are also knowledgable. They're not annoying and pushy. read more

Ask for Jeff first off if you're doing anything backpacking related. He really took hours to sit there measuring my torso for the backpack and put weight in it and taught me how to pack it to ensure it was the right bag for me. Great service overall from other staff, this is a smaller REI but has everything you need. read more

My go-to place for anything outdoor related. Yay for Natalie! She helped us find a particular size of waterproof pants. She was really busy but managed to help us. The prices are more expensive, but I feel like they're worth it considering they last a REALLY long time. read more

if i were suddenly transformed into a domesticated animal, i would be an indoor cat. i like to sleep and eat, am wont to occasionally bite or claw without provocation, and most of all, i am a lazy, lazy girl. however, i have lots of sporty friends who have surprisingly been able to convince me that a little fresh air and exercise never killed anyone. these friends have gotten me riding my bike (occasionally) and hiking (infrequently) and sometimes just going outside and squinting at the sun for a moment before heading back to bed. because of these friends, i recently purchased a pair of salomon shoes from an online retailer at a great price. when they arrived, i was a little unsure about the fit but i didn't want to risk returning them and not being able to get a different size or having the replacements be too small. at the encouragement of yet another sporty friend, i went to rei to see if they carried the same style so i could try on a different size. while they didn't have the exact same shoe, cesar had me bring in my new shoes and loaned me a brand-new pair of wool socks to check the fit. he had me climb on the little fake rock and see how they felt when i was walking down. he brought me out a couple of other pairs to try on and check the fit. ultimately, i decided that the shoes i bought were the right size, but only because cesar took the time to help me make an informed decision. i also picked up some wool socks (three pairs because you get 10% off that way) and a membership - $20 for lifetime membership, which offers an annual member refund, special offers, and discounts. i really liked the store, even though i felt like an impostor. the cashier could have been nicer, but other than that, it was a good experience. who knows, maybe i'll change from an indoor cat to a mountain lion!* (or more likely, just a cougar.) read more

This review is for customer service. The staff here are AMAZING. I was approached by 4 different staff members during my visit and asked if I needed help or had any questions. They managed to answer all my questions about my upcoming trip to Yosemite. Thank you! read more

Complaint to REI sent (6/17/2011) Hello, yesterday I accompanied my cousin to REI ARCADIA Ca to return his THULE Faring that was repackaged as NEW. As we returned this product everything seemed okay until the manager "STANLEY" approached us and began undermining our intelligence with statements such as "these farings look small but they are the correct size,' 'that is the way it is suppose to look on your vehicle,' 'believe me its not suppose to be long,'etc." Upon inspection of the "returned" VS the "new" faring, we proved that this product was, in fact, not the correct size assigned to the box. Furthermore, upon asking him questions regarding the product he began demanding us to "Hurry Up, I need to get you guys outta here." you need to leave now!" I'm gonna close the register." "Just by the shirts, we have a 'buyers remorse policy', return it if you don't like it." Finally, once at the cash register with garments in hand and on table - 9:05pm (we arrived at 8:30pm). STANLEY, said "Oh, its too late now the registers are closed, I can't do anything about it. I told you guys to hurry up!" I don't know what your policy is regarding this type of behavior from your managers, but in my line of business this would be unacceptable. We are a fairly young group of individuals but it is never OK to speak in a manner of condescending tone to paying customers like "You guys... Hurry up... gotta get you guys outta here." My family and I shop at REI frequently and have no intentions boycotting this store, but I do however want this issue to be addressed As soon as possible. Thank You. (P.S. I will be copying this complaint to YELP so others know what an unacceptable management style sounds like.) read more

I used to get my vibrams here - sad to say they were out of stock -I did find toe socks and was happy with my selections - maybe my vibrams will come back-maybe I just have to order on line like all the rest of the zombies on amazon - i prefer to try on my shoes - for that perfect fix - there are lots of camping equipment and tools - maybe it's time to try camping read more

Went to the store just looking for some new harnesses when Helen showed up. She was so sweet and so informative and really helped me with everything. She made this experience amazing and I will definitely come back to this store! read more

We need low back chairs for the Arroyo Seco event. They were so helpful.

love coming here whenever I need any gear. the workers are always polite and I shop worry free since they have a great return policy!

Helpful tip- when the Santa Monica location has been thoroughly pillaged during a sale, try this smaller, quieter location. Chances are, you will find a lot more stock remaining. After being disappointed at SM, I checked here for some camping items during their Labor Day Sale and they still had plenty of stuff. Yay! The only bad thing about this location is they often seem to be understaffed, at least at the registers. But other than that, it's a good option to have, with it's own parking and even a rock climbing wall. I've been meaning to try that actually... read more

They tricked me into buying membership. The cashier told me I would get 10% off on everything on every purchase. He lied! You get back dividends on your purchase, only on qualifying purchases, and you may not get 10%. The dividends accumulate and at the end of the year, they give it back supposedly as a "refund", but I'm not sure if the refund is cash or store credit! Unless you plan to purchase from REI all the time, the membership may not be worth it. read more

Decent sized location for REI- has nothing on the Santa Monica location but still can find some good equipment for your outdoor adventures. Everyone was very friendly here as well :) read more

Horrible service in the bike dept. Do not purchase anything from the bike dept. They don't fix your bikes correctly and then they make you pay again to get it fixed. I told the cashier about my story and she said "sorry come again". F REI and your condescending employees. read more

Yelp definitely needs to know about this REI, since they were sending me to Cucamonga! Great store and reasonably located for those in Pasadena, Arcadia and points nearby. read more

Very cool location. Lots of parking and a well stocked store even when they were having a big Labor Day sale. We got the clothes we needed for an upcoming outing and all were on sale. Love 1/3 or more off the price. read more

Always great if you need an item right away - otherwise prices can be beat by looking elsewhere. The real gem about REI is the garage sales.

Hit my trail in Sierra Madre tonight and dashed over to REI for a free bike clinic. The class was well executed on how to change a tire :) I am not handy or intuitively inclined to want to figure this shhht out so I like to watch and listen... so the next time I get a flat 9 miles away from home, I'll know what to do. Plus- have an xtra tube, CO2 cartridge, levers, and a marker! This location is not as well stocked as the Santa Monica but their gear is good enough. Bike and Camping gear was well stocked. Snowboarding- was all for big people and not the coolest or the hippest but would do in a pinch! Staff is mellow and helpful- and if you happen to forget your wallet at home (yes- even though I knew I was heading out the door to shop...hmmm maybe I fell off my bike and don't remember...)- they will hold your merchandise (including sale stuff) for you. Now that's nice. But of course, it's Arcadia. Everyone here is nice and not in any hurry. So drive with a lot of patience. read more

Obvs REI is a 5 star worthy store. But this 5 star review is for Jeff! Peter & I have been frequenting REI since we started taking hiking pretty seriously. The call of the wild continued to beckon/our friends invited us to go camping...so we needed some camping thangs. We had been checking out sleeping bags on the REI website and had decided we were going to get the polar pods. We asked Jeff for help, and boy oh boy did he help us! He's spunky and full of energy, so he mos def made our experience fun. He shed some knowledge on how you pick sleeping bags...and also showed us a variety of sleeping pads. We walked outta REI satisfied customers with 2 sleeping bags and 2 sleeping pads. Totes grateful for your help, Jeff! read more

Just got home from a god-awful shopping experience at the REI in Arcadia,CA. The shoe dept was so incredibly slow that I had to simply get up and leave after wasting so much time. Every time the girl came back with shoes, she would say 'sorry it took so long' but it kept happening repeatedly. After 45 minutes of this, I left. When I first arrived in the shoe dept, the other girl simply ignored me and walked right by me to some other people when I had been there first and was waiting. So I gave up on shoes and went to look at clothes. I have an upcoming trip to WY, needed stuff, and had money to burn...the perfect customer. But I ended up with nothing. I gave an extra star just cuz the girl at least said 'sorry it took so long' about 3 times. Bottom line, the inventory there was not so hot, service sucked, I looked for a long time and came up with zero. Don't waste your time at this store. Update: I went there again yesterday, 8/29/17, and the shoe dept was better. So I added one more star. The salesman was helpful and the inventory was a bit better but still not great. read more

Thinking about this place makes my blood boil. I have never wanted to give a place 1 star more than I do right now. Some background info: I came to this store for the very first time and bought jacket A and jacket B in December and then exchanged jacket B for jacket C the very next day. I was out of town in January and when I came back in February, I went back to REI to return jacket C. This is when all the bullshit begins. The cashier girl handed me my return receipt and as I was walking away, I noticed that I was credited back an amount that was less than what I had paid. I asked her why that was and she said I would get the rest back in dividend. WTF is dividend and how do I get it? She said I would get it back through my membership. I told her I do not have a membership. And she asked if I used someone's membership. I said I do not have a membership or know anyone with a membership, let alone anyone that shops here. She asked if I was returning a gift. I told her no and showed all my receipts, which clearly proves that I was the one who purchased it with my credit card. Apparently, my receipts had a membership number which meant that somehow my jackets were purchased under a membership. She got the manager, some long-haired Asian guy, and he asked me the same questions. Did you use someone's membership? blahblahblah. They tell me it is IMPOSSIBLE for them to ring up a purchase without a membership card or me giving a member's phone number. FIRST OF ALL, I was NEVER asked to give out any numbers. AND SECOND, I AM NOT A MEMBER NOR DO I KNOW ANY ONE THAT IS. So they continue to tell me it's impossible for their systems to accidentally do this blahblahblah. I continue to tell them the TRUTH, which is, this is not my fault and I don't know what happened. The girl tried to look up the membership number to see whose membership it was and if I knew that person, but their systems were down. OKAY, even if it was working, I guarantee you that I do not know this person BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW ANY MEMBERS. Finally, the manager was like, "OK, just refund her the whole total." The girl didn't know how to do it and she had to do it without the receipt. The manager said I could only have merchandise credit or a check because it was done outside the receipt. Of course, I opted for the check. Hell no would I want to be stuck with credit and be forced to shop here again. So the manager runs around trying to find a check request form. Other employees ask him if he's found it. While this was going on, I stood at the register with the cashier girl in awkward silence that lasted for minutes. So when the form was finally found, the girl told me to fill out my address and I was finally able to leave that awful store. Not at ANY point did either of them even bother to apologize for my inconvenience. They could have said something like, "I'm sorry for this inconvenience.. I really don't know how this could have happened." BUT I GOT NOTHING LIKE THAT. ALL I GOT WAS A HEADACHE. The whole time they made me feel as if I was lying to them about not being a member or knowing a member. Next week, I receive an envelope from REI. Thinking it was my refund check, I was glad to finally get my money back. BUT NO, it was a letter from corporate telling me they can't verify my purchase based on the information I gave them. It tells me to email someone named Lisa with info from my receipt. I was beyond annoyed and pissed off at this point. I was never told to write anything but my address on the form. Isn't it the store's responsibility to relay whatever information required to process check refunds? OR AT LEAST INFORM ME THAT THEY NEEDED THIS INFORMATION SO THAT I WOULD WRITE IT DOWN SOMEWHERE FOR THEM. So, I sent a lengthy email with the information from the receipt and citing all the bullshit I went through at the store and how I basically hate the store and never want to deal with them again. Lisa wrote back to me saying the membership was in fact not under my name (NO SHIT) and that she approved my check request. And then, she also adds that if I didn't use my friend's membership, it's possible that I gave a phone number of someone that is a member. I ALREADY SAID IN MY EMAIL I DID NOT GIVE OUT ANY NUMBERS. AND what is up with the "IF" I didn't use my friend's membership... there are no IFs about that. I said all over my email that I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO IS A MEMBER. REI is seriously retarded. I have never experienced anything like this before at anywhere else. I do not know of this "excellent" customer service that people speak of. Seriously, if all they did was offer me an apology of some sort at the store and not continue to tell me how impossible it was for this to happen and not make me feel like a liar, then that would've been acceptable. But all they did was make me feel uncomfortable and pissed off. SCREW U REI. read more

Excellent inventory and excellent customer serrvice. I love obtaining information about products I am not familiar with before purchasing

I've been an REI member for years, and while I have shopped in their stores throughout California, I am primarily an online customer. This rave review is inspired by the incredible care I've received at the Arcadia location, both from their manager and from a particularly helpful sales person named Joyce. Not only did she graciously take an ancient return from me that could easily have been rejected, but she remembered me and my crazy kid from LAST YEAR's anniversary sale. I ended up spending double the amount of my return, and an already faithful customer became an ultra-loyal customer. REI has really mastered this, and they know how to hire and keep wonderful staff. read more

Not impressed with the customer service at all, at this store. At the Huntington beach store, I had at LEAST one person come ask me if I needed help, in each of the sections I browsed thru. I've been here 20 minutes and these rugged looking dudes look at me and turn and walk the other way. Not one asked if I had any questions. I'll be going to the Huntington beach location from now on. read more

This location doesn't have ski gear but my husband ordered them on-line & had them shipped to the store. It's kind of hard to think of ski season when the temperature outside is 100 degrees but we got a deal on boots that I had tried previously. This is the closest REI and my husband could spend hours here. I'm usually the beneficiary of these trips. Hiking boots, flip flops, sandals, jackets, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, ski hats, gloves, etc...all outdoor gear covered. Time to get outside! read more

My husband purchased me a coat and I wanted to exchange it for another color but they didn't have it. Had to order online but it's free shipping home to members although the member fee is a one time fee of something like $15. read more

If you're the outdoorsy type, you'll love this place. You can get anything you need for your next camping trip or even jungle trek. I just think things are a little overpriced though. I always rummage through the clearance box. Problem is that a lot of that stuff looks used. They've got good sales sometimes. read more

Mark was so sweet to help us with finding the perfect sleeping bag and pack. Unparalleled expertise and customer service experience. Mark is a gentleman and a scholar of the great outdoors. read more

Yes, they have a good assortment of products. But this is the second time I've given them a chance. On both accounts I needed hiking boots, and on both visits to the store I had terrible customer service. It is mostly because they have one person working in women's shoes and more than 5 customers at a time. After driving all the way out there today, it will be my last visit. Both times I left without shoes, not because I wasn't interested, but I couldn't get help from the staff. Something for management to seriously address. read more

REI "is" the place to go when you're thinking of getting gears to do some outdoor activities. I mostly come for backpacking gears because REI have EVERYTHING you will need to prepare yourself for a backpacking, camping or even hiking trips. I don't ever recall not finding things that I need at REI. I have to admit that REI have some pricey equipments but their warranty and return policy is so great that I'm sure I can always count on them if I have any problems with my purchased gears. Best thing about REI wo uld be their "Used Gear Sale" that happens once or twice a year I believe? I finally went to my first "used gear sale" and it was awesome. Used gear sale is basically gears that are returned by customers and REI will just reduce the price of some items by half or more than half sometimes and just sell them at the sale. It can be gears that were used just once or twice by customers and they were unsatisfied with it, or even just a tad damage on the item that wasn't too noticeable. Basically everything that was "used" and return by customers all goes to this sale. I bought a backpacking backpack for 50 dollars when he original price was 180 dollars. SCORE!! The only flaws on this backpack was that the zipper is slightly hard to unzip which can be fixed. I also bought a pair of hiking shoes that looks spanking new for 40 dollars when original price was 90 dollars. Join the REI Membership- $20.00 to join and you're a LIFETIME member ! You get perks and coupons. Good stuff. read more

Service here is great I usually come in here for my camping/hiking/outdoor needs. I like how the employees are genuinely interested in your best interest. So I came in the other day needing a footprint for my tent and since my model was unavailable at the current time they told me simply to just buy a tarp because it is pretty much the same thing, however it'll save me a good 40-60 dollars. Wow the employee was looking out for my wallet, that is great service. All in all 4 stars in my opinion. Great spot to buy things, items might be pricy but it sure beats the service at sport chalet or big 5. read more

This REI is relatively decent; it's a small store compared to others I've seen. The inventory is barely adequate. Customer service is spotty--some people are barely average, others are great. REI's saving grace is its fantastic warranty, though an employee told me that REI will be making future changes to its warranty policy regarding shoes. I highly suggest that you always check Amazon for prices on comparable items, but it may be a better choice to purchase things here due to the REI warranty and dividend potential (for members). read more

The newest REI and the largest! They carry almost everything you need for outdoor sports! My only issue is they never seem to have enough medium sized clothing in stock. I always find myself undressing the mannequin for the medium shirt! read more

I've been to all the REIs around LA but I picked the Arcadia one since that's the one I bought most of my snowboarding gear in . This branch doesn't sell or rent out snowboards/bindings/boots unfortunately. Genuinely helpful and knowledgeable staff, and awesome return policy! The REI membership costs only $20 and is totally worth it. It offers 10% rebate on all regular priced purchases, and you can return stuff w/o a receipt since all your purchases are on your member file. I know I'm starting to sound like a REI salesperson but I'm not, :). I've returned fair amount of stuff (torn pants, muddy used snow boots that didn't fit well, or for no reason at all), and they took them back no questions asked. read more

The worst services provided that I have experienced. Mike from the bicycle department was disrespectful and rude. This person needs to be reprimanded by management. read more

In the last month I've visited REI 5 times, 3 of them at this location. I went for backpacking and camping advice on products. Mark, Emily, Kelly and Eder were the individuals who really made these experiences great. Mark fit me for a backpack, which I absolutely love. He also walked through sleeping pads (which I bought but haven't tried on the trail yet), gave advice on clothing (yeah, I need a lot of start-up gear), and spent quite a bit of time looking for a sleeping bag I wanted (unfortunately it was buried somewhere in the new shipment and he couldn't find it). If you see him around the backpacking area and are looking for a pack/bag/pad, talk to him! He's often busy but worth waiting for his advice. Emily was on the assist when I was getting the pack, but as she was managing that evening, she couldn't stay too long to help. Kelly and Eder gave great advice on picking layers for a trip I have in late October. My last trip in mid-August... I learned a lot about having the right clothes when it gets cold at night because I didn't have any. This next trip will be colder, and I think I have the right stuff to keep me warm when we make camp (hiking I'm not too worried about because I run hot when exercising). The only reason I give 4 stars instead of 5 is because this location (maybe all REIs) just don't have enough people to help customers. It may be because more research should fall on the person before they walk in, to know in general a bit more about the product they want to purchase. For example, if you're going for a sleeping bag, read the article REI has about choosing one to get an idea of fill type, what the ratings mean, the shape you're looking for etc. In any case, people (me included!) need a lot of advice and take a lot of the employee's time choosing these items since 1. you're spending a lot of money on each one and 2. The tech involved with this stuff is rather more complicated than I remember 16 years ago. read more

I went in to purchase an REI Amorphum Utility jacket, after I could not place my order online for pick up. I searched through the racks twice before asking someone for help; that's when I came across Levi. I showed him the online photo and told him I checked the racks twice and he never questioned it. He checked his phone for the inventory and then asked if I could give him a minute to check the inventory in the back. Levi came back without a jacket, and immediately started checking the racks again with me. I walked out with the jacket I wanted and workout pants I didn't need. Levi did not have to go above and beyond, but he did and it made a difference to me. So thank you Levi! Thank you Levi for going to the back to check if the jacket was somewhere there rather than saying, "we only have what's left". Thank you Levi for caring about customer satisfaction and not letting my 20-mile trip to Arcadia go to waste. Associates like Levi make companies successful. Amazing job today! read more

Friendly and helpful staff. Good deals for REI brand products. You should sign up to be a member because it's only $20 for the everything and you receive so many benefits! read more

Their sales are fantastic. We were in for some running gear and backpacks and were approached numerous times by staff offering their expertise. No shortage of staff (especially during sales) nor expertise. As many others have mentioned, the $20 lifetime membership is well worth it. You will easily get back the membership cost in the form of rebates based on purchases you make. Having your purchases on record has proven to be beneficial, too. With the recent sale, I saw an Osprey backpack that I had purchased more than a month back at a cheaper price than I had bought it for. At the register, I inquired about whether or not I could get refunded the difference if I brought it in with tags in tact. I also mentioned that I understood if it wasn't possible given the amount of time that had passed. But without even needing to come in again with him to verify this, the associate pulled up my record and credited the difference to my credit card. Came in to take advantage of their sale and walked out with great items AND the difference on an item I purchased pre-sale without any expectation of it (or the item itself). Thank you, REI. read more