Im not really an outdoorsman but I can easily kill an hour or more wandering around the store trying to find ways to justify making bad financial decisions. but its a go to spot to find products that I like, try them on, and then go find then cheaper from online retailers. read more

Holy crowded, Batman! My boyfriend and I went here looking for a beanie visor and were amazed (frightened) by the sheer amount of people in the store. The line stretched down the entire length of the store until the very back and was beginning to loop. I counted 80 people in that line. You would think the apocalypse was upon us and people desperately needed snow survival gear. The store was interesting. Lots and lots of hiking and camping gear. Lots of outdoorsy stuff. Horribly overpriced. A shirt that looked like it came from the bargain rack at Kohl's was selling for over $60. Everything was way beyond what I'd want to spend. You could get similar items at a cheaper price at places like Bass Pro Shop and The Sports Authority. Help out on the floor was nonexistent. There were tons of people looking at the same racks, and a fair amount of pushing and shoving was going on. Many items, including the beanie visor, didn't have tags. I wasn't about to wait in that line to see how much it really cost. We did go back on a weekday afternoon, and to be fair, it was far less crowded. I ended up buying the beanie visor and I only wore it 3 times before the yarn started unraveling and a button fell off. Very poor quality, and it wasn't cheap at $29.95. I can't see myself ever going back to this location, and I wouldn't recommend their products since my beanie visor fell apart so quickly and with so little wear and tear. read more

My friend and I were visiting from California and we needed some camping supplies. Tim and Chris at the Reading store were beyond helpful to us. Their customer service was so fabulous that I wanted to give this shout out to them. Thank you guys! Your help made our camping trip a success! read more

I always get great bike service from fixing a flat on the spoof to helping pick 2 kids biikes. Very nice staff. Love making excuses to go back. read more

Wicked knowledgeable sales people! Large store, fully stocked. Plenty of parking. Best location ever!

Despite the store having a smaller selection and higher prices than the online shop, the workers are friendly and there is plenty of parking! read more

My experience at the Reading REI was fantastic! I worked with two different staff members while I was there and tried on everything from backpacks to sleeping bags to boots. I probably spent 3 hours in that store and no one acted as if I was wasting their time. Plus they all had great expertise to help me out. I was so impressed that I decided to become a member. Some people say that REI is expensive. However, the same items on Amazon cost almost exactly the same or maybe just $5 to $10 less than REI. If you become a member you automatically receive 10% back on all your purchases. So you would get that money back and then some ever year. Plus they have an amazing satisfaction guaranteed policy. I would highly recommend this store. read more

This is the place to buy luggage. Period, full stop. The staff is helpful, and if you have to make return it doesn't get much better. I purchased an Osprey Ozone 80L wheeled duffel for a trip to Europe. The short version of the story is that this pack -- lightweight and well-designed in terms of storage, in a cheery shade of green -- began to fray and rip at the seams almost immediately (without any unusual wear and tear on my part). I shrugged and blamed overly aggressive baggage handlers at the airports (never mind that one would think that Osprey would design for such eventualities...in fact one "helpful" Osprey customer service agent told me that he'd worked in an airport "and you can't believe how rough" they are on bags. Um. Okay? How about for designing for that sort of thing then?). A few months later I took it on a trip to Kauai, and once again it frayed at the edges, and this time the top handle began to rip away from the bag. No problem, I thought. Osprey has its "All Mighty Guarantee: Any Reason, Any Product, Any Era" policy. I contacted them, explaining the situation (a reminder, this bag was LESS THAN A YEAR OLD AND HAD BEEN ON ONLY TWO TRIPS). After some back and forth with Osprey they agreed to try to fix it. Great! The one, fine print caveat: I had to pay for shipping to Colorado for it to be assessed. Because I was shipping back an 80L wheeled duffel THIS WAS GOING TO COST ALMOST $100. Almost 50% of the original cost of the bag! Guarantee my eye. Cue angelic music, and enter REI and their wonderful staff. I took the Osprey bag back to REI in Reading, MA (where I had originally purchased it, by this point over a year before), and explained the situation to Deborah. She was courteous, kind, sympathetic and wildly helpful. She spoke to her manager, and they agreed that the wear and tear was unacceptable (essentially a factory defect) -- and they promptly offered to find me a new piece of luggage or refund the full purchase price. THANK YOU DEBORAH AND REI. I will be buying all of my luggage here from now on. read more

Worst rei I've ever been too. I tried buying ski goggles today. Had my money in hand but the sales person was so incompetent that she couldn't help me find anything related to what I was looking for. I was really hoping to receive some sort of education on goggles. That quickly devolved into just trying to point to items I found on-line. Multiple times she tried selling me the wrong item. Is it too much to ask that the people working here should have a rudimentary understandings of the equipment they are selling? read more

I am a big fan of REI. Lots of great gear! I have been a member with them since 1998 so I get 10% back off what I buy each year' which is awesome because I buy a lot of stuff and it adds up over the years. Just wanted to let Brian D know... Maybe it is not a good idea to "beat the crap out of" your rental gear and return it soaking wet. My local REI no longer does group rentals of tents and gear and it is because of people who have this attitude. They said the equipment was getting too trashed by the large groups. So the careless, reckless people have spoiled it for everyone. There is a code of ethics among outdoor enthusiasts that you should leave things better than you found them. I think this holds true to more than just campsites. read more

Know what you can do at REI? Rent tents and beat the crap out of them and return them soaking wet and they will dry them for a small fee. Yeah, that's pretty much the best thing ever when you are taking 60 whiny grown ups who have never camped to the woods for 3 days and you really don't want to bother with having your own inventory or ask them to go WAY out of their own way to rent or buy their own flipping tents. But, I digress, yeah renting tents is cheap and easy. I took their entire inventory for 3 days and I feel like more of a man than I ever have in my life. read more

This place is amazing; the layout and selections are great. The only problem is that it's OMG SO EXPENSIVE! Whenever I see something totally awesome and think it's something I'm willing to splurge on... it turns out it's TOO MUCH to splurge on for what it's worth. So in conclusion, this place is amazing IF you have a lot to spend but for bottom feeders like me... it's way out of the realm of possibility. read more

Don't judge a book by it's cover! When I drove up, my first thought was there is nothing Outdoorsy Looking about this place, it looks like just another store. That was before I walked in! As a cycling girl, I was thrilled to see their vast selection of all season cycling apparel and gear. They get that there are actually a few of us that enjoy cycling pretty much right up to the first snowfall! YAY! I liked the way the store was laid out, it was easy for me to find what I was looking for. The sales associates were super helpful and knowledgble. I too shop clearance racks and found some pretty good deals- however I totally would recommend joining the co-op to get rebate dollars back at the end of the year! That is a pretty good deal for the non sale items that you need! Don't worry about the long line for the checkout that you are bound to see.....it only LOOKS intimidating. I don't think I waited 5 minutes to get checked out and again I had a great sales associate that wanted to make sure that I found everything and make sure that I used my co-op card. I really love this place! I just wish it were closer, but then that would probably get me in trouble! read more

If you don't look "outdoorsy" or "athletic," they ignore you or are rude. Every time I've been in, I have encountered rude and inconsiderate employees. If you are too busy chatting and pretending to arrange shelves to answer my question, I'll be damned if I am giving you any of my money. I will definitely be purchasing snowshoes elsewhere! read more

Starting this review is difficult, and I'll tell you why. I want to give this store both 5 stars, and 3 stars for totally different reasons. I don't want to give it 4 stars, but, as that seems to make sense, I will have to settle. I'd rather really give it a 3.5. Anyways. The store: The store itself is pretty large and has a wide selection of items and you will find literally everything you could want at this store for outdoor use and all items come in a range from beginner/leisure to hardcore mountaineering. The one thing I don't like is that they don't carry a very wide selection of clothing, just hundreds of the same items it seems. But that's a small gripe. The price/membership: You can find your items cheaper on the internet, but this place is much less expensive than a mom and pop store, and doesn't have the chain feel that most chains this large have. They are very community oriented it seems and that's cool. The prices, while not cheap, aren't astronomical or jacked up. The membership is also great, 20 dollars for a lifetime and you get yearly dividends of I believe but don't quote me here, 10% of everything you buy. which you can opt to take home in cash once a year, or spend at REI throughout the year once it becomes available. So, kudos there. I hear good things about the credit card. The staff: This is where I am torn... The staff here are super hit or miss. Some are great, some are painful to deal with. More often than not, the people can direct you where you need to go, and if you have a question or two they can help out. The people in the footwear section are particularly friendly and generally know what they're talking about. The best person I've dealt with here was not an REI employee, but a Thule representative who worked late to set up my rack for me after waiting around while my wife shopped. So, I'm glad they bring in awesome vendors. However, some of the employees are total awkward spaceballs who are probably high off their asses on weed (one kid reeeaaked) and the memories of their last hiking escapade. Some are just very blunt. Not rude persay just, not really wanting to go out of their way to make the customer feel comfortable. I recently lost an item in a dressing room, it fell out of my pocket and I noticed it was on the floor and I thought I'd just pick it up when I put my real pants back on, but silly short term memory forgot. When I went back to get it 45 minutes later after I realized I'd left it there by accident it was gone and the dressing room had been cleaned by the staff (there were unwanted clothing items everywhere when I was in there). I found the receipt but not the other items that had been in my pocket. According to the woman who helped me, it had not been returned. She seemed extremely short and not very friendly. Somewhat helpful in that she looked around the area, checked with a manager over the phone if it had been returned, but didn't offer to look at video recording of the fitting room area or have my talk to a superior directly. She did her job but didn't seem very concerned. I called back today (3 days later) and she happened to be the one to answer the phone and she was very curt with me and said no one had returned it, she still had my contact and would get back to me if someone had, but again seemed very business-like and unfriendly. Perhaps, this is my sensitive side getting the better of me, but seriously, if I we're in her shoes I'd at least act like a sympathetic person just to console someone if they're upset. All in all, a great store, I do more shopping for outdoor items here than anywhere else, just don't be a dummy like me and leave valuable items in the fitting room because they will never be found again. I'll happily update this review if by some miracle my stuff turns up. read more

Great store. I enjoy the fact that when I joined the co-op I receive a dividend check from my purchases over the year. I don't mind paying for products that last. read more

Really disappointing trip to REI. I found three or four things for my wife, was looking for size large. They didn't have any of these items in the store. I probably waited for half an hour while they checked in back. Probably won't be back - lame inventory. read more

Really great service! Everyone in the shop is so pleasant and helpful. I never felt like they were trying to upsell me or pressure me -- they just wanted to help me find the right fit. There were plenty of employees on the floor, and they were all super helpful -- even the cashier was great! One of the best chain retail experiences I've ever had. read more

I used to think REI was a great store, but not anymore. I'm pretty fed up with them right now. I've heard a lot of great things about their return policy, which is probably true, although I've never had to return anything serious there. First of all, the prices at REI are the most expensive you will find out of any outdoors store, period. Yes, they have top equipment, but they will always have things priced at MSRP. The only benefit of going to REI is to try something out, or try on a piece of clothing, and then buy it online at a cheaper price. Second of all, specific to the Reading store, the staff here seem to be completely useless. There seems to never be anyone on the floor helping there customers out. If there are a bunch of people working, then they are just standing around yapping. They also never answer any of my questions. I asked one staff member what a good rain jacket was and she basically gave me a blank stare and told me to just look around. I just recently was at this REI and was looking for a serious Gore-tex hard shell for mountaineering. I asked a staff member where all their hard shells were and she just told me that they are scattered around. Well, that's helpful. Could you suggest something for me? I was pretty specific about what I was looking for. It seems like the staff at this place don't want to be bothered, and don't have any idea about what products they sell. Bottom line: go to REI to fit clothing, try on shoes, fit gear, etc. Then put whatever gear/clothing back on the shelf and go buy it online from a place that has it on sale. There is no need to pay top dollar for outdoor gear. You will save yourself a lot of money. read more

There is no better gear store than REI. You can find smaller stores with better custom service, but the quality and quantity of stuff here is amazing. This isn't the best REI store I've ever been to (the one in Framingham, MA is better), but all REI's are worth the trip. read more

Wow! This was my first time in an REI and I came in with a ton of questions and was helped by not just 1 but 5 employees right down the cashier who were super helpful! The lifetime membership for $20 for 10% back each year is a no-brainer - do it! I'll definitely be back. read more

Decent store but don't expect to get out of the check out line anytime soon. Always only one or two cashiers handling tricky returns or on-line orders and the line keeps building up. PLEASE TRAIN YOUR CASHIERS TO LIFT THEIR HEADS UP and check if the line is getting long. This is the third time in the past couple of months I've had to request they call another cashier to the front. Good news is this does bring re-enforcements. But why do I have to be the one to set that in motion? Most customers wouldn't ask, so I guess others just wait, while the cashiers keep their heads down focusing only on the customer in front of them while 6 then 7 then 8 people are waiting and the line continues to build. read more

Sales staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. I would select 5 stars because I like this store but prices are very high compared to other locations. I was looking for a bike and found one I liked but they had no special on it and price was quite higher than in other store in MA. read more

I've been here many times and have had good to fair service. However, today I went to buy a discount lift ticket, which was listed "in-stock" on the website. The service reps told me they didn't have them, were very unapologetic, and even quite rude. read more

REI is a class act store. The service is great and the employees are very knowledgeable. REI is a cooperative in which profit is distributed in the amount of a rebate back to the members based on the amount of regularly priced merchandise they buy; instead of profit to shareholders in the form of a dividend. There is a lot of criticism on the street claiming this store is expensive. While it is true that you can do better at a LL Bean outlet (but you may not find what you are looking for which is a tradeoff you make buy going there), I find that REI is priced very much in line with an EMS or LL Bean retail store for any given item. Some of the stuff is indeed superior and specialized for certain environments and can not be found at other stores. read more

I love the website and the expert help when I can find it. I seem to always go when its very busy. I often wait in line to pay and need to hunt someone down on the floor for help. read more

Always a great experience at REI Reading and last night was no exception. Guy named Will in the shoe section spent lots of time sharing expertise and helping me select a different brand of running shoe to try. Excellent clearance sale items throughout the store, and best of all when I got to the register I had $60 worth of dividends from last year. Best part is they had everything I wanted in my size, which doesn't often happen when you're a medium with size 9-9 1/2 feet. read more

I used to live in San Francisco and thought the REI out there couldn't be beat. I may have been mistaken. I just got back from the store in Reading and I can honestly say I was impressed. The staff was extremely knowledgeable,friendly and helpful. The store itself was well laid out, and the selection was great. I found most of the gear I was looking for for a reasonable price. I think I found my "go to" store. read more

Nothing but great experiences here. The staff is courteous, helpful and realistic. I've gotten plenty of help on picking out a variety of jackets and hiking back packs here, polite advice on what I was doing wrong and where my money is best spent. They're extremely enthusiastic about the outdoors and their service and insight shows it. I've had my mountain bike fixed, complimentary, even though I walked in anticipating spending $80+ to have it fixed. Instead I got a few little tweaks and in 5 minutes I was on my way, free of charge. I will admit their check out lines do get a little long on busy days but is this really the end of the world? Is 10 minutes really going to change your life? Folks in MA are always in a rush... read more

Service was quick & friendly even during the holiday season. Thank you WIll for helping me find the right gifts for my parents & for suggesting the REI membership program-- the 10% annual refund on purchases is a great perk. Will stay loyal to this REI location in the future. read more

I was going on a camping trip and needed some gear. Amy helped me at the store and did a great job, very knowledgeable. Many thanks Amy!!

I went on a hiking trip to the adirondacks this past summer for school. I was very nervous and I wanted to make sure that not having the right shoes and clothing (as I could bring VERY little) was the last of my anxieties there. A women was quick to be of assistance. She not only has been an avid lifelong hiker, but she had a lovely bubbly kind and GENUINE way about her that all together was so soothing. What was one of the biggest shopping sprees I've been on in a long time, and not one that I'm accustomed to, became a breeze. It was fun! She made me feel so much more confident about the trip all together. How much joy and purpose she has found in hiking inspired me and made me think and feel totally different about the trip, hiking, hikers, hiking culture in general. And I did not get one sore or anything on my feet the whole trip. And I stayed extremely comfortable physically. I don't think I would have come out of the experience so positively if it weren't for such a positive start. Now I reccomend REI in North Reading to everybody and anybody ik can find what they need there. I wish I knew her name! I'm hoping to hike again soon! So! Till next time THANKS SO MUCH!!! read more

Review on service... Just literally waited in line for 18 minutes with no one in front of me. One person at a register was helping a lady who needed to look things up at other stores, another person at a register was looking in back for an item for someone and finally went out to a truck to get it. I don't mind waiting, but the store was SUPER slow with employees coming back and forth from the register area... Can't ONE person stop and help? Now two ppl in line... I finally get assisted by the second cashier who apologizes for the delay. I told him gently that it was a long wait... He said he was helping someone else... No kidding. Other employees were talking to each other and not helping customers... They can't help? He then apologizes to the guy in line behind me as he takes my spot at the register and thanks him very much for his patience... In a way that says I'm an ass for making a comment, but he's pretty sure this guy who's waited 4 minutes would not complain. Dude, accept that the wait sucked. Call for assistance or realize you should have. Don't look down on a customer for mentioning the wait time. I'm not an ass. That wait was not acceptable. read more

I like the quality of the merchandise but don't like being treated like a nuisance instead of a customer. After waiting over 10 minutes to pay for something, I was the first person in line the entire time, I suggested to the cashier to call someone to help and she did, saying, "the natives are getting restless" I really don't appreciate or deserve sarcastic remarks from employees. Also the entire time I was waiting in line there was another employee standing near the front door, not doing anything at all, just staring off into space. This place needs serious customer service intervention. read more

So I've been shopping at REIs forever, starting back home in Madison when it vied for attention with Erewhon Outfitters. This one in Reading is just as awesome. I've been here a few times for various things -- camping supplies mostly. Yesterday I stopped in to look at shoes, bug stuff, etc. to take to Honduras. I had wanted some rugged Teva sandals, but was told not to mess with the bug situation and cover them toesies by the fabulous shoe department saleswoman. Snagged a travel pillow, some Jungle Juice (30% DEET kids), and a couple of other non-essentials and headed out feeling more confident. I'm so relieved that I was smart enough to stop at REI before leaving on this big trip because I was able to touch base with two very knowledgable sales people -- they were really helpful. They have a great big bike selection, too, clothing for every athletic pursuit (albeit pretty pricey), the camping section is amazing, books.. you name it. I just love this store. Even better is the co-op membership:) read more

Let me preface by saying, I LOVE REI. Trips with my dad to my home store were always my favorite thing as a little girl. I'm a member, I have the credit card, I follow the sales. Well I live exactly halfway between the Boston store and the Reading store, so I figured I'd try the Reading store this time to purchase a rack and basket to go on my new bike. First mistake. The man in the bike section who offered to help me, upon hearing what I was looking for and bringing me right to it, immediately started trying to sell me a super expensive rack bag instead of the basket. Not what I need, don't waste my time. He assured me that the rack would fit on my bike, so I bought the rack, the basket, the bungee to hold things in, the whole shebang. Get home, and the rack doesn't work on my bike. My bike doesn't even have the holes to screw it in to. Didn't know that was a possibility, too bad my bike "expert" didn't mention it. So I look up on the REI website and see there's a rack with the same locking mechanism (so it would fit the basket I just bought) that attaches to the seat post. So I call back to the Reading store to see if they have it in stock. I am transferred to the SAME GUY who literally just reads me the website description that I already have in front of me. At this point I'm getting frustrated. I ask to speak to someone in the bike service shop who is more knowledgable, since this gentleman has already sold me an incorrect item. The guy from the bike shop I spoke to *sounded* more knowledgable, and assured me that this is the rack I want, and recommended which of the 3 sizes to get, and put it on hold with my name and phone number. He said it would be held until closing (9 PM) the next day. So when I show up at 7 PM the next day and it's not there, I'm PISSED. The counter girl was so unhelpful and unsympathetic--"I mean, I guess I could go look a third time if you really want me to..." I didn't even know what size I needed since the man I had spoken to had just put it on hold. So I asked the register girl if I could speak to someone about that again, and she literally just waved her hand in the direction of the bikes and said, "Oh, there should be someone over there." Not helpful. So I explained that speaking to someone "over there" was how this whole problem started and she paged someone to the bike shop to help me. The guy that came out of the bike service shop claimed that the item I was looking for didn't exist. Umm, I just saw four different kinds in your store not five minutes ago. So then ANOTHER guy comes over, and sounds like he knows what he's talking about, but by this point I'm wary. He finds the item and when I ask him about sizes, he said that they'd have to measure my seat post with a special tool in order to determine that, since it's a difference of millimeters. Why didn't the man I spoke to over the phone mention that?! I could have brought my bike in! So this guy (who was quite nice, very knowledgable, finally) explained that I didn't want that other rack anyways (not sturdy enough), and with a $12 plastic piece, I would be able to attach the original rack to my bike. Unfortunately, REI doesn't carry it and can't order it. Wonderful. This final guy was very apologetic about the run-around we'd been given and tried to make up for it by putting an item on sale for us, but I was only buying a $9 bike lock, and at the register we found out it was already 50% off. So now I'm left with $100 worth of bike gear that I still can't attach to my bike, and directions for a part that I can't know the size of until I get my bike measured. So I'm calling my local bike shop to measure and order the $12 piece that was apparently all I needed. Thanks for the hassle, REI Reading. I'm never coming back here. read more

I had a great experience in the store yesterday. I had been thinking about a roof rack for my car. I was warmly greeted by multiple employees who all offered to help. One of the employees knew all about the roof rack system. She set me up with everything I needed and even helped me bring all the boxes to my car. Great service! read more

Great store! Well-stocked selection, staff is attentive and responsive. They're very willing to help you figure out what gear is right for you, and then help you get that, even if it requires ordering online. It's always a lot of fun to browse this store even if I don't specifically need anything. read more

My family, first my parents and then myself in high school, have been members of REI since the mid 1990's. For both of us it is 20+ mile drive, yet REI is my first stop for anything related to camping, hiking, or cycling. I often buy their own branded stuff, and it has always lasted for years, only to be replaced when I want to upgrade to a more expensive version. Today I did something very foolish. A week or two ago I bought a relatively expensive REI branded backpacking tent. I'm going on a long camping trip in a few days, so I setup the tent in my yard to make sure everything worked properly and did a full inspection. It was windy, but not 'that' windy, or so I thought, and I didn't stake down the tent, because, due to good design, it stood up quite happily on its own. A huge gust of wind picked up the tent and dragged it over the side walk. When I got it back, I realized to my horror that the rain fly had several holes at the very top, where it had hit the side walk. I went back to REI knowing full well that they do not cover 'accidents', which is perfectly reasonable, and I was quite willing to pay for a new rain fly or repair, if that were possible. After being sent to the tent department, I explained the truth of my foolishness, and the gentleman I spoke to called over his manager. The manager took my receipt and consulted my membership record. Upon returning he offered me an exchange, which I gladly accepted. He'd noted that I hadn't returned anything in 5 years (and rarely before that), and so rewarded my customer loyalty. I do not write this to suggest trying to take advantage of REI's generosity. I certainly intend to be more careful so I'm not put in the same situation again (please learn from my mistake). I'm writing this because I was treated with care and respect, and was granted a second chance, saving me a lot of money and hassle in the process. My yearly dividend (10% of all purchases) almost always exceeds the one time membership fee, and that membership gave me a record, a credit history if you will, that makes such generosity possible. I thoroughly recommend REI for all your recreational equipment. The staff are friendly, knowledgable, and helpful, and their own branded products are excellent and good value. I'll happily admit that I was already a customer for life, but this experience has reaffirmed that. Thank you. read more

what's not to love here? except maybe too much novara and pearl izumi stuff, but come on this place is awesome.