Overall the store is amazing about returns - so a good place to go if you're not sure about the product. HOWEVER, it is way too expensive. Snowshoes cost $24 for 4 days at REI to rent and $19 at Wilderness exchange for 4 days. Waterproof pants cost $90 at REI, $45 at WIlderness exchange - same quality. Wilderness Exchange does not have a lot, but I highly recommend comparison shopping before you buy! read more

I just recently opened up a new equipment rental store called Berkeley Rentals a few blocks away and needed a new canopy that would last long and would survive the elements. So I went to this local REI to see if they had any I would like; stepped into the store and was flabbergasted by how many things they had, I asked an employee if they had any canopy's and she lead me straight to them. There were a vast selection and it was a little hard to choose one, but after a few minutes of consulting with the employee I finally made my choose. The price for this canopy was the best price in town, if this canopy ever breaks, which I highly doubt, I will come back and get a new one. read more

Store sucks. Customer service is great but they charge up the ass. Cashier guy tried to sell me a seat I know costs around $35-$50 for almost $200 bucks. This store always disappoints me. Never again REI... read more

Not for children! Salespeople do not tolerate children in here, even if the point of your shopping trip is to buy your son new hiking boots. My son is on the autism spectrum and was trying on a pair of hiking boots on the "rock" used to test out hiking boots. A staff member immediately reprimanded him. I understand being mindful of your children and that the store doesn't want the liability of your children get hurt. However, she was rude and didn't even take a minute to speak to me or assess the situation. It would be nice if their staff were kinder, and mindful of children with special needs. read more

I love REI as a whole. I get fuzzy feelings when I open the large heavy doors and walk in because I'm usually there getting prepared for a mini trip. One thing that really sadness me is the woman's clothing. Wow the prints suck. Paisleys and tie-dye ...really REI. I cant blame REI in total. I know the responsible party's like Prana and Mountain Hardware really need to step up to the game and give us something we can wear. I'm youthful and want to stay that way. read more

Boy if anyplace were enough to get me off my tokhes and out into the wilderness this place would be the spot. An amazing selection of equipment that will have you visualizing yourself catching salmon with your bare hands and fending off grizzlies with a few well-chosen words about your solidarity with mother nature (causing the beast to greet you as a long-lost friend rather than an appetizer). I love the tents that pitch themselves by merely removing them from the stuff sack and tossing them into the air. The sleeping bags are very nice indeed, apparently using a new type of ripstop nylon fabric that is breathable, waterproof, mildew resistant, sustainably manufactured, organic, hypoallergenic, and locally sourced from collectively owned businesses. Once you have selected a pack made with stealth fighter-grade titanium alloy components, you can outfit yourself with all manner of other gear from cooking utensils to climbing gear. Stock up on freeze dried food (organic, vegan, expensive) and you are ready to roll. Probably not a bad idea to drop a couple of grand on clothing while you are there as well, it also looks fashionable in the city too. To think I once spent a week in the woods with a tarp, pocket knife, shovel, compass, and couple of cans of Spaghetti-O's when I was in the Boy Scouts. It's a miracle I survived (actually it was a miracle, maybe that memory is why I don't go camping anymore). read more

Chuck in the return department helped me tremendously. I purchased a 1,500$ roof top tent at another store then was asked to pick it up at this REI. When I got here I was with one gentleman that was somewhat quick to get me out but chuck chimed in to ask if I had the specific rack for this tent. The gentleman at the store where I bought it didn't look at the Yakima racks on my car before I purchased the rack. Luckily chuck was cool enough to ask me before I left the store with the giant box. I appreciate him taking his time with me a lot! read more

Super friendly staff and fairly okay with their selection. The SF location definitely has more stock than this location but the service is top notch here. Yea for East Bay! read more

I seriously think this REI's Cycling department is in the late stages of a social experiment that involves making people (who really, really want to spend money) alienated and hostile. No. They don't want your money. Maybe it's a germ issue. Maybe they subscribe to some Occupy informed Anti Capitalist manifesto, but rest assured, these "employees" will do everything in their power to make sure that your filthy, horrific wads of tender stay tucked in your pants and AS FAR AWAY FROM THEM AS POSSIBLE. Upon entering, and after spending 30 mins of wide eyed yearning for human acknowledgment, any hope I had of an actual transaction in this wasteland of the soul was soon dashed on the racks of shiny Cannondale's, where it withered and died before my very eyes. So yeah, unless you want to wait to meet your friend Godot here, or you just need to bone up on the inherent isolation of the human condition, this "store" is best avoided. I left angry, confused and alienated. PROLOGUE: Good news! The nice people at Wrench Science (you know, an actual shop that only sells bikes) didn't seem to have an aversion to the $4000 dollars in my pocket for a new bike. Pretty weird, but I'm gonna go with it! read more

I spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars here every year, so having the membership is awesome! i love getting the members only discounts and the money back at the end of the year! I always buy something nice for myself! The thing about it though, is that their customer service B-L-O-W-S!!! I cannot speak enough about how long I have waited each time I need someone to take something out of a case for me. What drives me even more nuts about it is, that Mr. Mountain man has to have a goddamn conversation about how long he climbed, or how far he rode every freakin time I need something, to the other person they are already done helping! I know you see me Mr. Mountain man, can you just help me already? Maybe he just feels awkward talking to a pretty lady, and prefers the scruffy Mountain man like him. I'll admit it, I like the outdoors, but I have some style to me, and often times look like I dont belong in REI's bike area or the outdoor gear area, but I do use it, I promise and so does my husband, so can you please help me? Please?! Three stars for the great selection of EVERYTHING i need (even baby stuff) minus two stars for sucky sales reps. read more

I hella' love REI. They are so amazing, in every way.

A very friendly and extremely knowledgeable staff to help you buy anything from bikes and tents to socks and pen knives. Also, a no hastle return policy for 1 year that is very useful for buying things like hiking shoes, where it's hard to tell their comfort level until a few hours of use. read more

I have to say I was very surprised, as I like this store, at my recent experience of customer service on a product return. I find customer service to be rude, condescending, argumentative, defensive, and not very knowledgeable. Customer service needs some drastic changes. I also find that at times the staff know a lot less than even I do. I'd like to say to the staff that work at the customer desk, that my name is 'customer' and yours is 'customer service'. I'll think twice before I go back there. It seems prices are cheaper elsewhere. In fact I'm going to go back and return what I bought there. read more

I give this a star because the manager there was incredibly understanding of my situation and truly tried to help me. Otherwise REI as a company would've gotten no stars from me.Last year alone I spent 1000$ + in this store, and frequently spent lots yearly here, until now. Background- On this particular day, I pre-purchased Squaw lift tickets thru REI for 2 people, x2-3 days. a ski rack for my car and some other odds and ends for a ski trip happening MLK weekend. My car was broken into an hour after I left the store, and among things stolen were the lift tickets. I called REI right away to report them stolen, I had the receipt that shows proof of purchase and how many days lift were purchased. Hundreds of dollars right! Clearly, the lifts were not used yet. and I asked if they could cancel those lifts and reissue me new passes. The manager really tried to help as he understood that there was no way I could've used them but his upper manager said no she would not help me. He even called Squaw for me to see if they could help because when I called they wouldn't until he kept pushing. The best Squaw would offer was 50% off of lift tickets bought thru them, and gave him a direct line for me to call their person. This happened over MLK weekend. It is now almost Sept. I have tried calling the lady at Squaw weekly no response ever. I will never use REI again, for anything. They're great..till you actually aren't satisfied, then it's not about the customer. It's about their bottom line. I can get all their product lines elsewhere and often so much cheaper, AND delivered to my door. Bye REI read more

As a bike person who spent 45 years working for some great and some REALLY sketchy shops myself- I know good service when I get it and it was great yesterday. Special thanks and a shout out to CHRIS who helped me with some really small items that were the linchpins in a wheelbuild I was doing. A lot of bike shop work is finding small particular parts for people who are only there for a few inexpensive items. It takes a well staffed organized shop so that you can get someone to help you without feeling bad that a worker is being interrupted on a major job or sale to find-count out and get you what you need even if it is only five bucks. Yesterday REI had what I needed in an organized parts supply- and Chris was super helpful getting what I wanted by spending the time and energy looking -asking -finding and quickly ringing up my trivial request. I live close by so my hopes for an REI rescue paid off. THANX Chris-Thanks REI read more

The staff was great. Nice selection of items compared to some of the other ones around the bay. One staff member I'd like to give a shoutout to is Anne. She is extremely helpful and made sure everything was going well. read more

I end here about once a year, usually buying shoes or socks. Today, I was on a mission with a longer list of items. I was so impressed with the customer service -- especially on a busy Saturday. There was one item I wanted and the computer said that there was only one in the store in my size.. problem was no one could figure out where it was. Dave looked all over the store for me and even took my telephone number to call me later if he could find it ... still hoping that phone rings. read more

Before the SF store opened, I would find every excuse to visit this REI. To this day, this store has the best yard used gear sale! Now I'm just lazy and stick to the Brannan Street store. Oh how I miss you Berkeley REI! read more

Today was my first time here. Wasn't here that long - but from listening to the staff talk to other customers, they sounded very nice and helpful. Definitely have a much better selection than any other place, such as Any Mountain, Sport Chalet, etc. The prices aren't that reasonable but not super expensive either, however it definitely seems worth it. read more

good thing REI quality rocks. Its one of those things you get what you pay for. If you have an upcoming outdoor adventure or just need a new bike or a windbreaker, there will be something for you. read more

what can i say? i've been going here since boy scouts for all my outdoors/anything gear-like needs. you'll always find exactly what you want, and be educated by the expert staff in the process. all you have to do is ask. i mean, even the part-timers in the christmas season are experienced outdoorspeople and probably just need the holiday discount. there's plenty to see and do and learn at REI, you just gotta get down there. and don't forget---besides all the name brand stuff in the store, the REI stuff is usually rugged, sturdy, not as flashy, and backed by great customer service too. they stay open late too, like 9pm or something... and another thing, with the online ordering you can have it shipped to the store for pick-up free, instead of paying for shipping. i guess it depends on how much of a rush you're in, but it comes to the store pretty fast too. and the yearly dividend part of membership is always nice. nowdays they just ask you at the register if you want to apply the dividend to your purchase. you don't even have to remember that you have a dividend! read more

REI is reliable to have any and all of the outdoor gear that I might need. And if they don't have it, I'm sure they could order it for me. My favorite aspect is that I can always talk to the employees about the gear and they actually know about it. They've used it in the field and can tell me what works best and what they like about it. read more

has nice Carhart In the car hauler boots a very comfortable and they fit really good I would go here and back are hard all year round

I love ALL REI stores. Even if I don't need anything I wander around and look. This location has a big selection and a helpful/knowledgeable staff. Well worth going. read more

If you are an outdoorsy person, you probably have already been to an REI. They have plenty of things to make you ooh and ahh...from tents to rock climbing supplies, they've got it. The downfall is they charge you up the ying yang for it. I buy my socks here, and I cringe at how much they cost, but they are worth it. I paid a hundred bucks for a rain shell, it's thin as hell but damn does it keep me dry. So, yeah, you will rack up a debt here, but you will be happy with the product. read more

I love this store! As a member I get great rebates they call dividends. This store has everything you need to enjoy the outdoors. Be warned it very pricey! Parking at this location is very tough. read more

Typical REI store... Good place to kill time as you wait out the traffic getting onto the Bay Bridge and into SF. Convenient location off of the highway, good selection of products, and decent customer service. Of course, since it is an REI, make sure to do some price comparison shopping as it could be on the high side. read more

I came here looking for help with backpacks and they were amazingly helpful. Chuck was very knowledgeable and patient. He helped find a back pack size that fit me correctly. This is in comparison to the REI in NYC and they were NOT helpful AT ALL. Moe then was gracious enough to fill my back with weights and confirm my fitting. He even taught he how to pack my pack correctly with the heaviest things closest to by back all along my spinal column vs packing the heaviest things on the bottom of the back. Chuck and Moe totally made my experience at REI and I would come back to this particular REI just for their expertise. read more

5 Stars. It's REI. Seriously, they pay you to wear their awesome clothing. It's great.

I like this place a lot. The staff was very customer oriented. I came In to price items for my "bug-out-bag" & they had about 80% of what I was looking for. They are kind of on the expensive side but the quality of their products are worth it. They do have a limited amount of flashlight selections & a lot of there 'freeze dry' food requires boiling water which is a bummer bcuz during an emergency you may not have access to boiling water but then again they have the portable mini stoves you can purchase. LOL. Over all there a great place + they are nation wide & have a 1 yr warranty/ return policy!!! read more

Returns line in the back of the store is extremely long. A lot worse than the SF location. Took a while before they added two more associates to help. Not too impressed, though the customer service wasn't bad. read more

Five stars for the incredible customer service. Everyone that I came in contact with was so friendly and helpful.

The REI is different from the ones on the Penninsula and the one in SF. It's a tad smaller and some of the items are cheaper. But, the service that some of the staff had wasn't that great. read more

Their quality is always good, and they stand behind their products, but until they're responsible enough to make sure things are recycleable-like their camp stove propane containers- they're only getting 3 stars from me. read more

I've always found good deals here. The staff is friendly and helpful. I havent had any problems with parking in the lot. And you cant complain about the dividends check you get at the end of the year as a cash-back reward for spending money at REI during the year. Only complaint is the check-out line can be long, even though they have several registers open. read more

I discovered they have some really cute athletic wear, but I went there to find a bathing suit and they didn't have a single suit big enough for me ~ and I'm not that big! I'm a size 12 in shirts, for example. So, I was quite disappointed in that regard. read more

Smooth process. I will buy everything here. Great place for new cyclist.

Return Everything Incorporated. Really Expensive, Inc. All joking aside, REI rocks, and is probably my favorite store in the whole universe. They have Marmot, Northface, Patagonia, and its own REI brand. I get all my bikes, tents, jackets, backpacks, and othet outdoor gear from REI. Why? It is because REI will stand behind all of its products. 5 years down the line, if your backpack rips, you can return or exchange it. I am not encourage that type of behavior, but just the fact that a company is willing to put their name behind the products to such an extent, earns them much more than 5 stars. This particular store also has variety to boot. Do yourself a favor, get lost in this REI store. Who knows, you might just buy something you don't need (and LOVE IT!) read more

They were very helpful in fitting me for a large backpack and helping this newbie figure out how to adjust it.

I always have a great experience here. The customer service is amazing with few exceptions. Outstanding return policy and great selection. I got all outfitted for an international trip recently and feeling excited to use my new gear. Love this place. read more