WOW! This place is just as good as it gets!! I found some shorts and sandals today and wow they are comfy. Patagucci and North Face galore!! Also customer service is impeccable. Joyce, the cashier was not just a treat to talk to, she put up with me paying all cash! Like 50 1s! Thanks Joyce and thank you REI!!! read more

REI is the Disneyland that all outdoorsy people need. Parking here is atrocious. It can be expensive. But I will skip past these things and tell you it's worth it to come to the flagship store. There are always people to help you out. The people working in the shoe department have always been patient with me because I have different size feet, and I enjoy running intensely in place to make sure they will hold up. I have bought many useful items from REI. I often have to ask myself, "Do I need this?" Often the answer is no, but who knows I made need to purify my water only day, and it's on sale. You can shop around at outdoor gear oriented places, but you'll most likely end up back here, back at REI where we all belong. read more

This place is like a gigantic swank treehouse. It is seriously huge. For a co-op, it sure feels corporate. Overpriced when it comes to apparel, but a good place to get simple things like waterproof matches, emergency space blankets and first aid kits. The parking garage is cramped, but at least it's free if you stay less than an hour. read more

I'm sure that I'm treading trodden ground, but REI is REI. The return policy is extraordinary, the co-op/dividend idea is novel (almost quaint these days), and the selection is unparalleled. I still shop elsewhere for many things (Second Ascent, recently Feathered Friends), but one week before any outdoor adventure, a trip to REI for food, gear, and odds and ends is a must. Just never, ever, ever, go on a sunny Saturday or Sunday. Trust me. read more

Gotta give three cheers for REI. (I've given them boos in the past too so the good must always balance the bad I say..) Stepped into rentals today to get the 9 year old a backpacking pack. After a weird brush off with an older lady who rudely informed me that the other old lady who appeared out of the blue was in the queue before us. (?!!?!!!?). I seriously looked around for a take a number sign. Soon, a young man, Rodrigo, showed up. When I told him why we were there he sighed and I thought oh no. Turned out it was a good sigh. That really awesome employee spent 45 minutes with my son, trying on different packs, adding weights so he could see if my son could handle it... Filling me in on every last detail about how he should carry his pack, how it should fit, explaining it to him on a very 9 year old level way. "The clip should be where your belly button is, and right below the last rib, that is called the floating rib by the way... Here let me measure your spine so you carry the weight correctly.... That part of your spine is called the C7, just for future use. You know, I really want to adjust this part of your pack, is it okay with you if I do that? (It was on my son at that point and the employee would have been reaching into personal space and he gave full respect for that)". When I thanked him for attention to detail and care for my kid his response was "of course, that's my job"! Ah. REI, and everyone else in the customer service area... the more employees like this that you hire, the better. ;) read more

Very poor customer service, very rule guy was helping me to checkout. I paid for it but I feel I asking for free, I never came back again.

Ok, once the "wow" factor from all the cool things like the climbing wall and bike path have finally worn off, let's get down to the core of why you would be here, for the gear to go on your adventures, epic or more down-to-earth. I've been an REI member since 2002; my father-in-law has been a member since there was only ONE store in the entire nation, so I have someone with perspective from which to guage my REI knowledge. First, as big as this store actually is, the gear selection seems to narrow down every year that I visit. For example, circa 2003, if I wanted Gore-Tex running shoes, there would be at least 10 different shoes to try on, seriously. Now, I'm lucky to get to compare three, maybe four different shoes. The selection is still there on-line, but I really do come to expect the selection from the Flagship store. This trend goes on to bikes as well, you used to be able to at least fantasize about that $5k plus machines to attack the trail, but those are rarely, if at all, in stock. If you haven't been to this store, it is worth visiting. I personally think that the Denver Flagship store, with it's river running right next to it, has a much nicer layout, gear selection, and overall vibe than the Seattle store. read more

LOVED it! They were so helpfull in fitting me to packs and pointing me n the drection of items I need! I bought my membership and am ready to become a regular! My son loves the play area and I plan to take im rock climbing ASAP! read more

Of all the REI's I've been to (bay area, nyc, portland). This is by far the best one. Here are the highlights: - Bike trail around the store to demo bikes - Water filter demo area - 2-3 times the size of any other REI i'm been to. - mini elevated rock trail to demo hiking shoes - childrens play area - park ranger info desk - extensive map selection with table to open them up and compare Prices are average. read more

REI has gone downhill in recent years. It seems much of their store now is filled with expensive useless junk, and I struggle to find inexpensive staples such as iodine tablets or sleeping bag detergent. Their staff can be hit-and-miss, regarding knowledge or willingness to help. read more

I LOVE REI and especially the Seattle Flagship location. If you live in Seattle, you pretty much love REI. How could you not love REI? They give back 10% each year for being a member if you purchase regular price items, and they guarantee 100% your satisfaction. Also, the sales associates are all very helpful and friendly and truly care and enthusiastic about sharing their helpful knowledge and advice. I've had a few issues with some of my purchases (some used) and they gave me a full return with no questions asked. Many outdoors companies have good return and warranty policies in general, but REI fully guarantees your satisfaction, so shopping here gives you peace of mind. This location is HUGE and the waterfall and ambiance makes it even better. The only bad part is that they only have free parking for an hour, and it's really easy to spend more than an hour here. But then again it's Seattle so free parking is hard to come by. I highly recommend this REI location and just going to REI in general! :) read more

Drove from Bellingham to the Seattle store due to the Bellingham REI not having in stock the carrier that I initially wanted. When I arrived, salesman Evan immediately came to my assistance and was very helpful in assisting me decide which carrier worked best for me. He was not only helpful but very patient as well as I know I may have changed my mind a few times. I eventually got a better carrier than I planned for which was fine with me as they had a great sale going on and I had some $$ that I had to you on my membership savings. Of course one cannot just go to the Seattle REI and not look around and enjoy all that REI has to offer which I truly enjoyed doing. All and all, it was well worth the trip down to Emerald City and Evan made it great! read more

REI reigns as my favorite store of all time. I could (and have), with no shame, spent hours and hours in REI just gawking at all the cool gear. Occasionally I buy something - but only if it's on sale. Thriving in the outdoors is expensive, people! Unless you're Bear Grills (i wish). Anyway, my most recent purchase was a new $170 sleeping bag for $60. Lucked out. The most impressive characteristic of REI is it's return policy. Although I despise any neglect to the permissive REI, I often see people return highly used stuff with ease. Obnoxious, but respectable nonetheless. If you haven't had the REI experience, i suggest you make your way down there asap. And when you get there, feel free to just let yourself go: it's invigorating ;) read more

This store is a trip - truly! Even if you're not northwest outdoorsy, you must visit here, if just t o see the building and setting. The staff is always helpful and knowledgeable. I trust that the clothing I buy will be of good quality and durable. Yesterday, I got a cute yoga top (REI label) for less than $30. It's possible to spend a lot more! read more

Hands down the best REI store in the country. Which is only right for the flagship store. Absolutely huge selection of clothing, gear, accessories, you name it. Plus the climbing wall, rentals, the outdoor path, and a year round members discount section in the basement. The staff is always incredibly helpful and nice. Oh and there's a World Wrapps on the top level...yum.... read more

REI in Seattle got me at hello! This place is HUGE! I could spend hours & hours here and be a happy camper! They have EVERYTHING... say no more... you just have to experience it. If you are ever in Seattle... check out REI! WOWZERS... *GIGGLE* read more

Be careful, there is so much stuff to check out, if you're not prepared, you could lose an entire day walking around in here. It's like being at the zoo, so much to see, so little time. There really is too much good stuff, and most items I don't have a clue what to do with it. That said, I still feel compelled to purchase. It's a battle of wills between me and my Amex. So far, I'm winning, but I'm not sure how many more times I can tempt fate. read more

I feel like I'm being excessively positive in my reviewing lately. Don't judge me - I haven't gone soft - I'm still the same mean spirited jerk with a heart of coal. It's just, well, this REI - the flagship REI - is awesome. Parking? Yep, they got that. However, they charge you if you stay more than an hour. A bit of a dick move IMHO, but oh well. Walkability? Ehhh, not the best location, but for a store this big it's hard to complain too much. Selection? God yes. Helpful employees? It's REI. Duh. Though one guy did call me a newb climber based on how my shoes had worn. Not cool, dude. That hurts. Awesome membership program? Yep. OK, they aren't the absolute cheapest out there. But with the customer service, selection, and membership program - they're really hard to beat. read more

THE REI MOTHERSHIP! I moved to Seattle recently and have been visiting this store every week. I love everything about this store! it has everything I need for hiking, camping and backpacking. I do go to other stores for fishing and skiing though. I don't have a problem with the parking and staff. The only bad thing about this store is extremely hard to come out with empty hands! read more

Very knowledgable staff. Competitive prices. Great member rewards after buying a lifetime membership. The best quality of REI is their 100% satisfaction guarantee. I was skeptical of this policy at first, but can now personally attest to its validity. I returned a $1000 bike after finding a better quality at a local bike shop. The customer service representative simply asked if anything was wrong with the bike (had anything broken on the bike that they had to fix before reselling at their member yard sale) and then refunded my credit card with the full amount of the purchase price. If only you received dividends on purchases of items on sale! read more

This REI location rocks my socks. They have everything, I mean EVERYTHING. It's the place to go for outdoor equipment and it's just a cook place to hang out and drool over all the gear. And their service was exceptional. I had 2 different shoes I exchanged here in the span of a couple weeks. I wore them, ran with them, even visibly wearing the tread. This place still took the return and I was able to get anything else I wanted. read more

If you are into any type out outdoor activity, this place is a must. I love walking around the REI stores just to see the different things they have for outdoor activities. This REI is the "flagship" store and contains a huge rock climbing area. Parking is free up to an hour and $2 up to 3 hours. Friendly staff, clean store and tons of products make this place a winner! read more

Amazing customer service!! I was riding my bike around the area and stopped in without an appointment because I felt my breaks were loose. Mike helped me out by fixing both breaks, adjusting the seat, apparently my handle was completely backwards and my tires were flat! Fixed everything in like 10 minutes. Only charged me for the breaks and was really nice. REI to the rescue!! read more

This is a huge store that supplies ALL your outdoor mountain needs! They have everything from snow clothes to mountain bikes, but our biggest save was in the returned items loft! We are here on vacation getting ready to go snow-tubbing, but of course, being from Hawaii, we have no snow gear. REI has a section of used stuff that has been returned, but is now on sale at huge discounts... the only catch is you have to be a member to shop this stuff, and membership costs $20. Not too bad, though... it's a lifetime membership, and we got 2 pairs of waterproof hiking boots for about $90 bucks... regular price would have been around $200-300!! I call that a win! Another great thing REI has is an in-store park ranger! We wanted to go hiking, but this being a snowy season, we needed to know where we could go. The park ranger was able to direct us to a couple of great places that were not too far, but would provide an excellent experience for our family!! The atmosphere of this store is awesome, too! Kinda makes you want to hang out there enjoying the waterfall and a sitting area around a fire pit! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the price tags for merchandise... pretty steep, but the stuff is quality, so I guess you get what you pay for! REI... woohoo! read more

Yeah, this place is pretty great. Total toy store for adults. It is difficult to find something they don't have. They have pretty much every outdoor sport covered. Also, they have rentals on most expensive equipment. REI has a great return policy- if you bought something that doesn't work, or you don't like it or whatever, they can look it up you and get you a return. The flagship has a cool rock climbing wall too. Some items are a little on the pricey side, but with the return policy, selection, and knowledgeable staff this is a great store. read more

Bummer that they started charging for parking but if you stay less than hour it is free. I love coming here for shoes. Great selection for winter and rainy day weather. Their discount section has great stuff too including backpacks and briefcases. The world wraps on the top floor is a great place to eat. The mango salsa and chips are very good. read more

We came during the 20% clearance sale. The store was pretty crowded. The parking lot was completely full too. When you peruse stuff, you have to be fairly competitive because if your eyes leave that particular item, it might get taken by another customer. Same goes with the sales clerks. People wait in line to ask the sales clerks questions. All the staff were really friendly and knowledgable on what particular item they would recommend. We wanted to know if they knew the size of luggage bags for a carry on item. He knew and took us around the store showing us what size would be the most appropriate. The store in itself is pretty ginormous. It is probably one of the biggest REI stores that I have been to. Surprisingly, for the amount of people, the store was pretty well organized. read more

Wicked awesome! This place is amazing! The customer service is top notch and the staff are very helpful! The place is huge and well organized. I brought a friend who went on the rock wall had a blast, it scared the crap out of me but she is 9 and was able to get up there 2 times! Also the food store is amazing and worth getting something to eat when you are ready for a break. Again this store is huge and has lots of places to go check out and try new things. The staff will help you with anything you need you just have to ask! read more

Horrible experience! Charge $15 for 15 mins, not even 15 mins of climbing that includes your time getting shoes and harness on. You climb all day at a real gym for that price. My 7yr old was extremely excited, Lady went to front desk 3 times and wasted all time Doesn't let my son climb route he wanted to put him on a 15 ft route he does in 60 seconds and then says OK time up your all done. He looks in disbelieve since we waited at store for 2 hours for his turn! Never pay to climb here! read more

Well, I am not a sporty person, but I decided I needed a bike. I'm not going to lie, I didn't want to go to REI, but the city gave me some vouchers for there through the One Less Car program, so it was the smartest bet. I went to the bike section and stood around for a LONG time before I was helped. Then the guy was nice and everything, and I pretty much knew what I wanted, so it went smoothly after that, but a long wait for help is typical for me when visiting this store (which I have done a few times as I decided which bike). They do have a bike shop and a free tuneup after you have had your bike for a little while, so maybe I will change my opinion of them in the long term. I will say that their online chat customer service is pretty cool, although they can't do everything they can do in stores or over the phone. And I had reason to call their phone customer service during this process, and they were very nice and helpful. But I wish the bike guys were a little more attentive to their customers (who are about to spend hundreds of $$$). read more

I didn't even bother trying to climb the wall, but I do love the selection here. I refrain from buying anything full-price so I do the bulk of my shopping online but it's nice to see stuff physically before purchase sometimes. This place is like the Brookstone for sporting goods - you see all these super cool things that you certainly don't need but would really really really like to have ("OMG, look at that sleeping bag that rolls up to the size of a dinner napkin!"* or "The beam from this flashlight is so strong it can be seen from space!"*). The store is big, everything is laid out well, and you really can spend hours perusing. The downside is that it's easy to drop hundreds of dollars and not having much to show for it. *not actual quotes or products read more

I love this REI! This sporting goods megastore is tons of fun to browse. The design both indoors and out leaves me feeling like I've entered an oversized log cabin in the woods. The selection of merchandise is incredibly diverse, if pricey. The sales associates are helpful, too. I really like their lifetime membership program, which offers yearly "dividend" discounts each March. I could spend all day here if only my spending money lasted that long, haha! Located in the heart of downtown Seattle, this REI location has an attached parking garage (no validation). Check out the hourly rates, because the longer you stay, the more you pay. (Seems like they have it backwards, but whatever!) If you need any kind of sporting gear, check out this place! Yelp 365 Challenge #178 read more

An amazingly large store that has juts about every SKU that PEI carries. A can't miss in prep for a newbie camping trip or just to top off on things before the next adventure. Easy to get lost and wonder for an hour. Build-in burrito place is an odd touch--not sure if it caters to customers or employees. May return if need new gear. read more

Everything an outdoors expert could possibly need. All the weirdest gadgets you never thought you needed in daily life are there. If I was into every outdoor sport, this would be the most dangerous place for me Sadly I feel there are few bags for women of small size or that it takes a tremendous amount of time looking for one. Nevertheless, it's an adventure I enjoyed. Employees are friendly and knowledgeable about every product. Good location for adults with young children, REI also has a jungle gym for children of young ages. REI is a shopping mall of its own with tents to try, a 20-foot rock to climb, a restaurant, and a place to sit down. According to some, when the winter comes, there's also indoor snowboarding or skiing so you can test their products. Correct me if I heard wrong, but that's amazing. read more

This REI flagship store is just a beautiful sight. You'd think you're entering a park at the store's entrance. I really think it's neat how they have test trails outside the store. I am not sure if anyone really utilizes it, but it's quite cool that it's there. I heard there a rock climbing wall inside the store, but I was on a time crunch and busy looking for something, so I missed it. The store is an impressive 3 stories high. The employees are very knowledgeable and friendly. I was looking for a sleeping bag and a backpack. Even though I decided to do more research on the backpack, the employee who assisted me was very helpful. He explained the types of backpacks available and help fitted me with one. He also added weight to it so that I can get an idea of what it would feel like with weight in backpack. I left feeling very educated about backpacks and really appreciated the time the employee spent explaining everything to me. You can also rent gear from REI. I haven't rented anything from them, but I think my friend rented some ice picks from them for her last hiking trip. Also, if you aren't aware, you get become an REI member, you get 10% off your purchases which is given back to you at the end of the year. They also do promotions for members throughout the year as well. read more

Who loves REI? I guess everyone and their grandma, especially on the weekends. I work near here, and it is amazing how many cars can be circling around this wonder of a store and still go in. Their selection is great. I went in a few months back to get a new winter hat and it was like standing in the shampoo aisle at the grocery store. Too much selection. Only downside is the amount of Eastside yuppies that come over in droves. They take up all the street parking and make the line bigger at Vivace across the way. Not really REI's problem, but they are their because of REI. They are also all about giving back to the community which is a big reason I love 'em. read more

I love REI - great selection, not always the best price, but you do get a dividend check at the end of the year. I always just end up spending it at REI - oh the vicious cycle! 2 stars for knowledge and selection, 1 star for co-op and incredible physical store, 1 star for being so close to Vivace. -1 star for bad parking garage and the stream of SUV drivers going into it. Not REI's fault, but nonetheless. read more

It's hard for me to give this REI more than a 3 three star review because I've never actually bought anything at this location. I go here a lot for work to pick up pre-paid orders, but I've only visited on a view other locations and never ended up buying a thing. The prices are just way too high for me. Granted, the prices are probably pretty good for the fact that it's high-end gear, but I just can't afford any of it. I always see plenty of jackets or track pants that I love, but I just can't pay out the ass for it; I'm far too poor. Even their sale prices seem to be too high.... I also often get lost inside the store as it is huge and has all sort of outdoors-y type stuff that all looks the same to me because I'm totally clueless as to what it is. I also had to ask about three people how to get to the rentals area (that's where you pick up pre-paid orders) because I didn't realize I had to keep going Chris Berman-BACK-BACK-BACK-BACK-BACK! into the store and then down the stairs to find it. On the plus side, the building itself is really nice, with the trees and waterfalls incorporated into the design. It's pretty to look at and is in a really easily accessible location, which is a bonus. The employees are also super nice and can explain what is truly the best product without just directing me to the most expensive item. The people in the rentals area and great and always offer to help me carry items to my car. Do they still have that rain room where you can try on coats and see how well their waterproofing works? I haven't made it over to that area of the store in YEARS. Anyone? read more

Seattle, born-and-bred, day-hiker, outdoor lover, and not afraid of the rain - with those credentials, I would be shunned for not shopping at REI. That said, if you want outdoor gear, there really is no reason to not pay the $20 or so it costs to become a member of the co-op - not only do you get coupons for 20% off four times a year, but you get a dividend in February (8-10% of what you spent over the previous year right back at you, excluding clearance stuff), you get free climbing on one heckuva rock wall, and you get discounts on gear rental. This is good for us casual skiers because I just don't make it up to the mountains enough to justify owning my own pair. But since this is a review for the Seattle REI, let's talk about it briefly - it's huge, it's got a big rock wall, it's got an outdoor hiking trail to test out that pair of hiking boots that you're interested in but want to see where on your heel it's going to rub the skin away from first (so you know what type of band aids to buy), and it's got an outdoor mountain bike trail to test out that mountain bike that you're interested in but you want to see how badly it bruises the privates first. It's clean and it actually has a pretty good organizational flow to it. I had one hiccup early on when I went in search of a Timbuk2 messenger bag and couldn't find them in the bag section...because obviously, messenger bags are popular with bike messengers so go to the bike section and there they be. (In case you're wondering, I wound up spending some extra and buying it online so I could choose my colors, and let's just say that it's probably one of the best bags I've owned.) I don't use umbrellas because they go against all that I believe in, so I'm here looking at rain gear at least once per year. Their REI brand rain pants rock my world and keep my scrubs nice and dry. They have the best selection of Keens here - better than most of the other REIs (Redmond is a close second) and WAY better than pretty much every other shoe store in Seattle I've checked. They have a great play area for the kiddos, a World Wraps on the second floor, and nice, clean bathrooms. But the big thing for me is the customer service - I've NEVER had a bad experience (though I've had difficulty with finding someone right away during sale time on weekends, but what can you do?) and the staff are so so so knowledgable. The staff in the shoe department actually change out of their shoes when they get to work and into a pair of the shoes that they sale so that they get firsthand experience at what the shoes are like - my brother worked in the shoe department at another REI and he wore a different pair of shoes daily while working. Also, they have great seminars and classes. Parking isn't always great, but it's not horrible, either. Also, if you don't like the prices, don't buy it - but everything I've owned from REI has stood up to the test of time for me and I'd rather pay more for something that's going to last awhile than pay less for something that will fall apart shortly thereafter. read more

Visit the flagship REI store when you visit Seattle! It was neat to pass by a trail for testing the mountain bikes on your way to the store entrance. I couldn't believe how big this REI was. You can buy all of your outdoorsy stuff in one trip. We ended up buying a couple items that were on sale. If you are hungry, there is a restaurant in the back of the store. Parking garage is available. Free parking for the first hour. There is also parking along the street. read more