As far as sporting goods stores are concerned, REI has great merchandise, but at a steep price. But that's not why you come to THIS REI. You come here for their awesome rock climbing wall. It's such a great experience. Sign up at the desk, go through a safety check, and you will have someone belay your excited booty all the way up the rock. It's probably about 20-25 feet high, and if you can get over the height, it's such a gratifying experience. You gotta go for it! read more

I could spend all day at REI. Easily. This store is an outdoor person's dream. I love the waterfall in the stairwell leading to the main entrance... I don't care that it's fake. They did a nice job. Also, this store has just about everything you'd ever want for any outdoor sport you might participate in. In my case, I went in search of climbing equipment. They have more rock climbing shoes than any place I've seen.... at least 30 kinds. Some of them were even on sale. Also the staff was very helpful in suggesting more comfortable models and pointing out the advantages of each kind. Plus, you can climb on the wall to see how you like the feel of your toes on different types of features. Additionally, they have a great harness selection. There were at least 1/2 dozen of each kind for different levels of skill and weight. I really liked that they encourage you to tie in and hang in your prospective harness. It sure makes it easier to see what it's gonna feel like when you can actually try it. Also, they have a ton of different cycling, skiing, mountaineering, kayaking, and snowboarding stuff. I got lost in near the helmets and had to have someone drag me away. Finally, I always appreciate they good clothing selection. Tons of high-end outdoor clothing and everything is guaranteed... plus your lifetime membership gives you a little dividend every year that you can come back and spend! Booyah! read more

This place is grandiose! I've driven by it numerous times driving towards seattles mercer exit and I never thought I'd ever go inside until I needed a pair of hiking boots for a last minute hike. I tried a different REI in tukwila but didn't see much variety within budget so we came to the big Seattle one... And let me tell ya it is BIG. I was tempted to walk around and check everything out... Heck, it made me want to run away from my little urban life and live the rest of my days Les Stroud style (who's bear grylls?). Forget about your local REI and make the trip to the Seattle one. Lots of items to choose from, and they even have a clearance rack for snow boots and hiking shoes! I came down for hiking boots and I need to give a shoutout to Laura, one of the sales lead, for her amazing customer service. She was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, not overbearing or pushy, and was very kind to help us get the perfect boots even when they ran out of a pair! She did a few run backs and checked different REI locations, made calls and put holds when some trouble came up. At the end of the night, my friend and I got our perfect boots all because of her! read more

REI headquarters never fails to impress. A giant climbing rock in the entrance, a discounted-item garage sale (in the garage, of all places), a huge selection of outdoor gear, from clothing to camping to ski/snowboard to kayaks and bicycles. The clothing also has a huge selection of brands. If you're looking to browse, REI is for you. And a return policy made of gold for members. Return almost anything within 1 year, no questions asked. read more

Top 10 things that come to mind about an REI shopping experience: 1. Hot dudes are littered everywhere in the store - employees and non 2. SALE items!!! 3. Climbing wall! (costs $) 4. Smaller FREE climbing wall (hill) in the shoe department!!! While you're here try on some awesome hiking boots or Keens! 5. Used section with ultra clearance downstairs!! 6. Extensive bike/backpack/tent section 7. A wall full of water bottles - I recommend the camelback. I love this wall!! 8. hiking clothes - not my style, but I have to walk past them to get to the coast. 9. COATS!! So many coats. long, short, warm, windbreakers, raincoats... 10. AWESOME return policy - you can take something back used after 2 years because a zipper broke!! Oh man. I dont abuse this, but I like that it's there. Be prepared to drop some cash when you go here, but all my coats, boots, and rain gear have lasted me 5+ years. I also dig the luggage section. An hour of free parking! Their book section leaves something to be desired. Lots of hiking books, but not a whole lot beyond that. I'd try your local library or book store first. There are tons of dog toys and floatation devises. Kayaks. Climbing gear. Jesus, so much stuff. It's all well laid out though, you can generally do a sweep of the store with your eyes and head right where you want to go (besides the tricky downstairs area). Who's up for hiking?!!??? read more

This store is the outdoorsman's Disneyland. They have a path on which you can test bikes. They have a water feature on which you can test kayaks. They have a wall on which you can test climbing gear. I mean, COME ON. The store is huge - so huge that there's a directory at the entrance to tell you where to go depending on what you're looking for. They literally have EVERYTHING you could possibly need, and while things tend to be pricier than what you might find at your Targets and your Big 5s, they will also last you a lifetime. read more

REI has this incredible ability to suck you into buying a whole lot of stuff! Even Costco has lost its mega strong hold on me. But as a chronic consumer, I have a problem when it comes to REI. They have a lot of little kids stuff and Big People stuff but not enough Short People stuff - and I think the Short People use some other distribution to get outdoorsy stuff. Lucky for me! bc I always end up making out like a bandit here - at the 50% off the 50% off clearance! yay for me! read more

It's the REI Mothership! Of all the REIs, this is the best one. Especially that mega climbing wall. Kind of reminds me of the Aggro Crag from Global Guts on Nikelodeon...yeah, you know the one. Seriously, this store is enormous and fun to get lost in. Put those hiking boots on and find yourself some new Goretex. read more

Make sure you go to this store doing all of the research--especially on product specs. The employees are willing to answer your questions but are not willing to tell you when they just don't know the answer. They may even give you bad information. I recently went in knowing which brand and model of bike helmet I wanted. This helmet had three different tiers for three different prices. I was passed between several employees to answer my question of what the difference was between two of them. One employee picked them up and told me they were the same weight and the only difference to account for the $25 price disparity was color. I later found out one was in fact a few ounces lighter. When I shared this with the employee who told me they were the same weight he said it was "weird" because he "usually can tell the difference", even between *a few ounces*. I believe this is a prime example of how their employees try to seem knowledgeable about something they don't know and will even give you bad information! I write this with much experience speaking with employees in local bike shops about their helmets, all of whom knew much more than any of the REI employees I have spoken with. read more

I was in Seattle with the family and had to stop by the flagship store. I walked up from PikeStreet Market and when I got to the street I thought how cool REI contributed a park to the city. Turns out that was the entrance to the REI. They build a park so that you can try out Mountain Bikes and equipment right out the front door. The store is huge and for someone always looking for a deal they have an entire clearance section. The staff, as always could not be friendlier. I am glad I stopped by while I was in Seattle. read more

Mention REI and you are sure to get a nasty look from at least one of your friends. Because REI is a big dog now a lot of people don't want to frequent the store. That's a shame because this place pretty much rocks. I like supporting local businesses as much as anyone, but a few stops at the local bike and running shops around here left me with one general feeling - what a bunch of a-holes. No wonder REI got so big and powerful. At REI, they seem to understand that it is not a privilege for customers to shop at their store. The sales clerks were helpful and explained the pros and cons of every bike I looked at. It's also great to know that if you don't like what you buy, they have a very liberal return policy that let's you take stuff back even up to a year later in some cases. That's a piece of mind you just can't get most places. I knocked them a star because some stuff did seem a bit overpriced. Other than that, REI is definitely a place to check out. read more

I can't believe I've not yelped this REI??? What was I thinking? So yeah, this is the mecca for any outdoorsy person. The huge building is several stories of backcountry wanderlust. Heck, if you really need to get a hike on...they even have a little stream and forest-y landscaped area flanking part of building on the outside. It goes without saying that there is a huge rock to climb on the inside as well. I can just go here to hang out, walk and daydream about my next excursion Into The Wild. ;) read more

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold the phone! This REI was awesome. Not sure if that mountain bike is the one you want? Why not try it out out front on their onsite trail? What about those hiking shoes? Why not try them out on their trail out front? What about the climbing gear? Head over to the WALL. Plus this place is enormous. You need your hiking shoes just for the store its so vast. Definitely saw items here that I just haven't seen at other REIs before. If you're in Seattle its definitely worth a stop to check out. read more

Umm. REI. Do I need to say more?? This is the flagship store. They only hire other outdoor enthusiasts. Year long return policy for any reason. And I mean ANY reason. A friend used to work returns and a guy once brought in a sleeping bag for return bcuz his kid peed in it!!! They took it back and sold it to someone who knows how to use a washing machine I guess. Laughed my ass off at that. Anyhow. It IS a little on the pricey side but when you're in the elements facing Mother Nature in her true glory, do you REALLY wanna cut corners and skimp on your your gear???? I sure as hell wouldn't. :) read more

the world class outdoor and adventure mecca is downtown Seattle co-op REI. i had a blast, definitely purchased the stock and grabbed a perfectly golden yellow The North Face duffel bag in medium. Whoever helped me might have looked like an angel i think, this place is a heaven on earth for life shopping. read more

The king of REI's is here. Located in SLU and seen from the freeway. They have a huge rock for top roping! I have yet to try it but it looks pretty fun. I'm a climber myself, so I go elsewhere for climbing. I bought my first pair of climbing shoes here last year and I was relatively new to climbing so I didn't know how tight they should fit. The person in the climbing area helped me out a lot and I was happy with my first purchase. I would recommend becoming an REI member! There are a lot of benefits such as getting 10% back on purchases as well as 20% three times a year on regular priced items. I love coming here. Parking is free for an hour. I would recommend going past 6p and trying to find street parking because it's free! I know I can spend a realllly time browsing everything. You can find everything you're looking for here. There was a time they didn't have a vest, but they were able to order it online for me and ship it to my house for free! Recently, as I was waiting to try on some clothes at this past sale, one of the workers recommended that I try on a smaller size in a base layer as they can run big. I just thought it was really nice to have these personal interactions because I am still quite new to camping and such. Everyone I've interacted with here has been really nice and helpful in picking out the best items for myself. read more

Steer clear during holdings or member sales... Wanted to buy some hiking boots. Waited around for 40 minutes without any acknowledgement and was usually brushed off because staff was busy with other people. Seemed like the customer to staff ratio in the boot department was at least 10 to 1. They should start a ticket system for people to wait in line and at least communicate with their customers the estimated wait times. Left without boots. It would have been another hour or two to get out of there with the boots. On the plus side there was a table set out outside for $10 sausages. Those had some fancy names like caribou bacon beer brat. Big name, but small flavor. Get the kielbasa. :) The park outside is nice. I love the waterfall. But overall it was a stressful unproductive experience. read more

Best place to buy and learn about outdoors equipment and practices, besides the military. Wonderfully knowledgeable staff, and the high quality pleasant environment you'd want and expect for the premium prices. This store is so large with such a variety of clothes and gear, and even a restaurant that it's easy to spend a day here before heading out to enjoy actual nature. read more

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Just moved to Seattle from California and wanted to find a nearby place to get my snowboard waxed and came into the shop to figure out what kind of wax I wanted. Never had a membership with REI (lifetime membership for $20) which included a free belt wax (lasts a good day on the slopes) as a member so I signed up. It took was than 5 minutes to complete and I was on my way out. Customer service was great as well and this REI is huuuuge! Attached is a picture of their services for Skis/Snowboards. read more

REI - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I've been coming to REI for years, they have all things needed for any kind of adventure, fitness, warm clothing, etc. However, the last time we went really reminded me how much I really appreciate having REI in the area. We called in to see if they carried Fitbits, which they did so we decided to stop by. However, when we got there, there were none out on display so we asked a staff if there were any more available. I didn't get a chance to get his name, but this employee went above and beyond. He went downstairs to their inventory to look for it and informed us that it would take a bit of time. When he returned, he was empty handed, but quite apologetic. Not a big deal as we knew the FitBits were sold out everywhere and he had already spent a good 15 min helping us out. We were walking out the door when the guy came out running, like literally running, to catch us, with two FitBits in his hand! One in my size and one in the bf's size. When asked where he found them, he replied, "the last place I would've ever looked." It really says a lot about the service here as he continued to look for the fitbits even after we had accepted that there were none to be found. Bonus points for the effort he put in. It was right before closing so he could've easily just said they were sold out since none were on display, but instead, he went everywhere and found the last two they had! Tip: -Lifetime returns on all products -Free parking for the 1st hour of shopping. read more

What a gorgeous store. The inside is cavernous but you still know where to find things. Like honey stinger waffles that came in *very* handy on a bike ride later that afternoon. The difference is that they have all of the things. There's a huge hiking hill to test different pairs of hiking shoes. There's the giant climbing tower. There's a playground that occupied my toddler for a good 20 minutes while mommy shopped. The bike section of this store is the size of our home REI store back in Oak Brook. It's nuts. I even got some handy information about Olympic National Park at the Ranger Station. With this, and the waterfall, and the halfway-decent location, and the free-for-an-hour parking, I really hope REI starts making more of these. Especially with the waterfall park just outside the parking garage. It's an amazing store, and I'm certain it'd be paradise -- if we enjoyed camping more, that is. read more

REI is the biggest outdoor shop I've been to so far. They offer everything from clothing for different sports, over shoes, Snacks, bag packs, tents, ... up to bikes and kayaks. Whatever it is you need for some outdoor adventure I am pretty sure you could find it here. I was lucky a few times to get some great items as they were on sale, otherwise this shop is more on the expensive side (in many cases far too expensive for me, comparison with other shops and online stores is recommended). For me the staff members never have been a big help, so I think that is something they could improve on, they could also stock up on plus size clothing and some more "neutral" stuff (not every woman wants to be dressed in bright pink, purple or turquoise - gender shit as its best). Otherwise I like this store, you can park in their garage (free for 1h, they should offer free parking no matter how long for customers with a receipt in my opinion), you have a huge variety of different outdoor gears and if you have to wait for some hardcore shoppers you can take a seat in front of the cozy fireplace they have inside :) read more

As almost everyone else has said, this is the flagship REI store. They literally have EVERYTHING here. I love this REI because unlike some of the other area Seattle stores, they have large sections for everything. I only gave 4 stars because the parking garage is horribly designed and always, always, always, a disaster to get in and out of. Seriously, who designed this garage?! Anyway, the real "Garage" in the basement where you can get discounted used items is sometimes a gold mine. We have bought a few items from here that were extremely discounted and in almost new condition. The rentals are also very convenient (just be sure to get a membership before renting, since it's a lot cheaper). I love this location though because they have everything and you can spend hours here or just a few minutes (if the lines aren't too long). read more

Took a while to figure out how to actually get into the building, but hey... You'd assume the clientele should be in good enough shape to walk around for a bit. I ended up buying a pair of hiking boots and socks for me and a North Face half-zip pull over for my wife. Thought it was pretty great they had a spot to drop off used shoes/boots for recycling. Super knowledgeable staff who were willing to go out of their way to help out. read more

REI Flagship Store with a Gigantic Rock Climbing Wall. This store is great. One can only wish we had outdoor goods stores half as nice on the east coast. The climbing wall was insane. I almost made it up to the top. The climb down was a lot harder than going up. read more

Generally have more staff, better selection than satellite stores. It's full service: action sports (skiing, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, snow sports, etc), hiking, camping, and more. The website has a "find in store" function so you can check, double check by phone for product availability! Make sure to call and check availability! The site function is not always properly synched with inventory - and put your product on hold because they go fast!! They also have a park ranger station for questions! read more

This REI is gigantic!! Not a Seattle "must see" if you're a tourist, but a cool place to spend a hour or so browsing if you have extra time. The rock climbing mountain is extremely tall; my heart was racing just watching people attempt to scale it. There's a large clearance section by the restrooms on the second level. There's also a children's play area and restaurant up there. Adjacent to the casual shoe section on the second floor is an old VW van named Ernie. Lots of nooks and crannies for you to sit and have a rest, too. Overall, definitely the most interesting REI I've ever been to! read more

REI heaven is its Seattle flagship store. The entry is beautiful and the store is nice. A friend and I were there last weekend and I was thrilled with how many more choices I had compared to my local Anchorage store. (Happy to have our store though, REI, so don't leave!) The employees were friendly, we had plenty of changing room space (especially for a weekend day), and we never felt rushed. The cashier was funny and friendly. If the lighting in the changing rooms made it possible to distinguish colors better and to see oneself better, I'd give it five stars. The lighting in those stalls is really lacking though. Too bad because the rest of the store is so nice, bright, and shiny. I've been an REI member since the 1970s and I love this retail cooperative for its one time, low-cost membership payment, high level of customer service, and returns policy. Although the prices are pretty high, I know I can take a risk with purchases at REI because I won't get stuck with disappointing merchandise, and as a member I receive a dividend every year as well. Also, I always feel treated respectfully and that is hard to come by in retail and service industries these days. Overall, my first visit to this store was a very satisfactory shopping experience. The REI flagship store is the cherry on top of the REI ice cream sundae! read more

I'm a millennial and I spend my disposable income at REI. My tinder profile says I enjoy hiking. every time i forget my nalgene in the uber i come here to buy a new one. Pro tip: know what you are shopping for BEFORE entering and shop just the essentials. if not you will leave with a bunch of car camping gizmos that seem highly useful but will end up in the back of you closet for months at a time. A+++ will buy more stuff to put in the back of my closet. read more

Love this store, and walking through the garden/trail/outdoor space outside is the perfect way to get in the outdoor enjoyment frame of mind. I've been to some club meetings and presentations here, and they tend to be quite good...it's pretty wonderful that REI has outdoor club meeting space available. I take most of my outdoor gear purchasing business elsewhere but I love looking around REI to get an idea of the variety available...and occasionally I'll buy something here on discount. I have friends who salivate over the REI basement and are constantly telling me about all the great deals they've gotten (apparently the best day to go is Monday, after all the weekenders return their gear!). As an added bonus, I like that the store has spaces set up for kids to be kids...little mini jungle gym on the top floor, what? Way better than your standard boyfriend couch offering! read more

I'm not an overly outdoorsy kind of gal. And by that I mean that I'm mostly allergic to outdoor activities. So when I go to REI, I'm usually clueless and need a lot of help from salespeople. And I haven't really found a lot of good help (except the shoe department). Since the products are such high quality, I wish the staff knew more about them and what works best and not as well for the circumstances given. I went to the women's clothing section asking some very specific questions. I was told, "everything in this department will work." Um, thanks for that. read more

I have a love/hate relationship with REI. Every time I go here one of two things happens: 1. I find nothing I want and leave quickly or 2. I spend 4 hours and ~$500 here. Guess which one happened this weekend. First I got a new sleeping bag and Thermarest. The guy who helped me was very informative and patient. He explained about the new rating system versus the old and helped with comparing ratings for different bags I was interested in. I settled on a synthetic bag (no freezing in a wet down bag for me) and it is super toasty. I found the same bag except in the regular length for $80 in the Gear Garage. Decided on the long (so the bf can borrow it for super cold weather) but somebody is gonna score a sweet bag at a sweet price. Also found rock climbing shoes and mountaineering boots from the Garage for a total of $60. I was planning on renting for the time being and saving up and getting them in the next couple of years but then they just fell in my lap. The lady in the climbing section was super helpful with making sure the shoes were a good fit. Tried them on the little test wall and they were great. Score! An alpine harness and belay device, shoe waterproofing stuff, and a workout shirt later I was out of there. The Gear Garage is definitely hit-or-miss but when it hits, it is amazing. Filled with all the returned goodies that people just decided they didn't like. And the dividend is great (like 10% on full price purchases) so you basically get your sales tax back at the end of year. read more

This place was built with love of the outdoors. If you're an REI fan, take an hour while in Seattle and check it out. :) read more

Visiting from SF. Amazing store but it should be since it's the REI flagship. Outside looks like a park; even has a test track to ride mt bites on & a small hiking path as well. Can't even see the store from the street. It's surrounded by trees & even has a waterfall running thru the grounds. Have to walk up 2 flight of stairs thru the trees to get to the front door ( unless you park in the garage and take the elevator. Huge interior space; 2 stories high. Has pretty much everything that REI offers on the floor but like most REI stores there are sone stocking issues. Nevertheless, wish ALL of the REI stores were as large & attractive this one! read more

i love love love REI. But after every experience i've EVER had at this particular branch, i will resort to do my REI shopping strictly online. EVERY SINGLE TIME i've been here i've had the worst customer service experience of my life. But, alas, i continue to return because of my love for the product, and a shop that sells so much great stuff in one store. But after 6 different negative experiences, i have thrown in my towel. They don't care about the customer. You have to seek out someone if you need help, and even then (if you can find an employee on the floor) they act as though they are put out that you, the customer, has a question. Hunny and i tried to get our snowboards waxed and edged 3 separate times, and every time we got turned away without even an apology for the 2 week wait time -- it's like, get some more help back there! the gal was sitting doing a crossword puzzle for chrissake... Rei.com from now on... all i can say. UPDATE!: I went back this past week (July of 09) and the customer serice had GREATLY improved! wow! we had at least 3 people ask us if we needed help as we were walking the aisles. Of course, i'm assuming it was this yelp posting that did the trick. ;) whatever did it, thank you REI, i love you once again! read more

I had to extend my stay just to check out the place. This is mecca of REI. Service was just what you'd expect from REI, funny and good sport. Though it's a little overwhelming store and I miss smaller REI on east coast (am I cRaZy!?) I wish I had my own harness and shoes on that trip, I didn't know they had wall. I love that fact that REI is a Co-Op, and I get dividend. This is type of biz I like to support. read more

How can you spend ten minutes in a store trying to find a section (athletic swimwear) and not find one, then spend five minutes trying to find a help and not find it, and then finally end up waiting in line at customer service for another five minutes to get directions and be told that they 'don't know if we carry swimwear.' When I finally found help it was on a different floor and I had to insist that the clerk help me find the section. It turns out, after over twenty minutes of searching that REI returns their stock of athletic swimwear (but not goggles and nose clips evidently) at the end of the summer. My real question is how can you have approximately a city block to display sporting goods and not be able to carry swimwear year round? Also why is help so hard to find in this store and why don't the clerks know their store? Lesson: don't go to REI if you have an atypical request... I am sure they are great if you are a climber, camper, or want a big puffy coat... read more

Climbing wall!!! I wanna go!! Instead, bought cool bamboo hiking socks- saw a woman napping in a tent- can we live here? ;) They kind of have all the equipment we'd need...... I hate shopping - unless it's books or sporting goods/outdoor/camping/tri gear stores, in which case I can get lost in a whole world of imaginary pursuits and need to be dragged out by my husband. We came here on honeymoon needing some hiking and camping stuff for the second half of the trip - I wish they had a store like this closer to home (even though I can still find plenty of ways to lose track of time at our local REI). read more

Review for the Bike Shop: Really fast service, very helpful, and the staff are knowledgeable or can point you to someone who is knowledgeable. Great variety of add-ons and components in stock, or they can order almost anything for you. Very reasonable labor rates. I've been able to get walk-in service a few times for small fixes, but I always call ahead to make sure they have some room in the schedule anyways. Best time to go: weekday, before lunch. read more

I'm more of an indoor kind of girl than an outdoorsy one, but I read somewhere that this location was worth the visit - JUST to see how it was designed. And whoever wrote that tip, was 100% right. The entrance is really unique, you feel like you're walking into a small forest, there are water falls and special bike paths all around. It's just a little bit breathtaking, and unlike any retail entrance you've been to before. Now for the inside, WOW, two massive flours of just about everything you could think of. The staff are incredibly friendly, and I had a rather educational chat with one about heart rate monitors. I spent far too much time in the yoga gear section, and the hat section. Come visit if you're in-town, it's worth checking out. read more