Thank you Shannon for your help! You've made me a loyal customer! Great selection of high end gear. read more

After my pleasant visit, it was surprising to see this REI with a whopping 3.1 rating so I dug up why. Seems like the bike clientele has abysmal experiences, or this clientele is a bit hoity toity because idk, for me, it's pretty hard to give 1 star ratings. But I can't speak to the bike dpt as I wasn't there for bikes. Needing some hiking gear for an upcoming trip, I went upstairs and Tommy was quick to see if I needed help, even while he was helping someone else already. He was really nice and helpful in finding a comfortable, sturdy and safe pair of hiking boots. I then went on to buy some clothing and the ladies around the fitting room were quick to let me in. The only negative part were the darn mosquitos at checkout but is it even an outdoor store if it weren't for the mosquitos? (Yes, it could be :P) read more

DC is lucky to have an REI co-op. Located in the old Uline Arena (site of the Beatles first US concert), it is situated adjacent to the Metropolitan Branch Trail and the NoMA Metro station. This REI has it all. A full service bike shop, water sports, camping gear, shoes and clothing. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful. They have an REI Re-Supply, which sells gently used goods and a substantial mark down. DC needs to support this store so they stay around. read more

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Always friendly and has what I'm looking for. The bike shop is very helpful. Last time I was in, I intended to drop my bike off but they quickly did a once over made sure the tubes/tires were good from sitting for a few months and got me back going. read more

I've come to a point where I'll pass on this location. I've chosen to shop this location initially due to convenience to work, but service is becoming more and more subpar. I am absolutely a customer who expects to spend my money where service is given to my standard. REI has been my go to outdoor gear supplier for years now. I've spent much time and money with this retailer, especially the location sitting right here in DC. To be fair, it doesn't take much however, I absolutely do not tolerate rushed service when there's no line, comedy hour when there is no known live comedy show, or impatience when your job is to simply do your job. Hiring young employees is not a pass. My high school child is professional and courteous with their retail employer. Do better REI training your staff on retail etiquette or hire high school kids, who seem to do a better job displaying respect for themselves, their job, and your customers. You bring in too much revenue to lack so poorly in service. I would stop in and pick up an item or so when ordering in store pickup to save on the carbon footprint. I'm afraid I'll have to reconsider and that's sad. Did I miss something? Is there an overall culture change perhaps from the top down? read more

Was told the bike shop was open until 9. Refused service at 8:20. Was also told I need a ticket first. Where do I get one on the website? Good question. I have no idea. I regret getting a REI membership and would not recommend anyone do the same read more

I had no idea that REI had their flagship store in the DC area. And for it to be so close to the place that I work made it even more shocking. I need to venture out more. The worst part about this place is parking. Mostly street parking and you have to be quick about it. Headed in here and headed right to the camping are to continue my search for Zippo wicks. This time it was much quicker to find what I was looking for. And this time, they had them on their shelves. In fact, at that time, they only had two and I grabbed both of them. With those in hand I made my way to the registers and paid. While there I was asked if I wanted to join their rewards program, of course I do not, and I was out the door shortly. Prior to leaving I asked if there was a restroom to use and it was all the way in the back of the store. I trekked back there and back up front, and I was out of the store. I wished there were more than one entrance to this place as it is massive. If you happen to park at the rear of the store, you still have to make your way to the front to exit. read more

In the heart of NOMA is the largest REI that I've ever been to. I came to pick up some items before an upcoming race and was glad to see that they had almost everything I needed and a great selection. The associates were friendly and asked if I'd needed anything. They had a variety of items for different activities including cycling, hiking, camping, running ... They had it all. Will definitely be back since it's warming up and I'll definitely be outside more. The items I got did seem on the pricier side but they are quality items so I didn't mind too much. This REI is also convenient to get to if you live in the area. read more

REI - Sporting Goods Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I went there today to change an inner tube from a flat tire. Mike said he would not change my inner tube unless I purchased a new tired because the tire is rubbing against the frame and it is unsafe. Told him it's been fine up until this point I just need the tired changed. Has anyone had problems with Mike? He refused service because he said it was unsafe even though its more unsafe to ride around on a flat tire. Made it seem like my bike needs to be in mint condition to be worked on because of liability. Really made me regret my membership as I only got it for the inner tubes. Up until this point inner tubes are the only thing I get from here. Thanks Mike for caring about my safety and preferring that I ride back home on a flat tire You sick SOB. read more

Very poor experience trying to buy bikes for our kids. They either don't have enough salespeople, or their salespeople don't care. Our first salesperson got distracted by another customer for a long time, which happens, but at least he could have stayed aware that he had been taking care of us and flagged down another colleague or checked in on us periodically. Then when we wanted to take the bikes for a test ride, it took forever to find someone else who could arrange that. When we did, they wouldn't take off the training wheels (our kids never had them) because we hadn't paid for them, causing one of our kids to almost veer into the road. Fortunately, the car only almost hit him. Then when we decided to buy the bikes, we stood at the bike service counter for a good 10 minutes before someone decided to take care of us. I understand if it's not the mechanics' job to ring up the bikes, but at least they could have flagged down someone. They obviously don't care about anything that's not within their immediate duties. This did not seem to be an especially busy time. And if it was, it's management's job to figure out how to properly staff the place. I'm sorry that we ended up dropping $400+ here. Incredibly frustrating and stressful experience. Taking my business elsewhere from now on, online and in person. read more

I had ordered some hiking boots from this store on their website. These boots made by Lowa are somewhat unique and no other store actually had them in stock including this one. I had actually purchased these same boots in years past. Since I needed to order the boots from their website, they indicated that it would take up to two weeks for them to arrive at the store for me to pick up. That was a long two weeks, and I was somewhat nervous if they would actually arrive because I didn't receive any notification until they had arrived to the store. They were available about three days shy of the two week mark, and I was happy to be able to finally pick them up. There is a special counter for customers to pick-up online orders, and that process went smoothly. I haven't yet tried them on but the boots are the correct size and everything seems good. read more

REI - Sporting Goods Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Great store, good experience. But, I must say, the cashier became almost visibly upset with me when I didn't sign up for a membership. I don't know if the staff here are under wild pressure to get people to sign up or if he just thought I was an idiot for passing on the offer, but the shift in vibe was tangible and strange. Went from enjoying a shopping experience to feeling pretty weird about it. read more

REI asked me to sign a WAIVER on the computer (of some sort) before picking up my bike. Say it cannot be modified. I dont agree with it and do not know anything about Washington State law. Manager is not helpful. Referred me to call Legal. read more

For years, REI has been my go-to for all outdoor activities including hiking, camping, and cycling. This flagship location is my favorite by far. I appreciate the old go go posters which celebrate DC culture and the legacy of musicians who are no longer with us. This store has bright lights and lots of shiny things to satisfy your needs. I was in there browsing water purifiers & potable aqua tablets before my trip to Central America. There's also a large area devoted to cycling. Various brands of bikes, helmets, apparel, and tools are available to get you pedaling in no time. REI carries a nice amount of supplements and snacks that are clutch during long rides too. The staff is pretty knowledgeable and will call for help if they can't answer your question. I should mention that there is basically a skeleton crew during non-peak hours so pack your patience. More staff in the evenings and weekends, but more customers too. Sales & special offers for REI members make the shopping experience even better. Don't forget to mention that you're a member during checkout. Street parking is available for a fee and garage parking is free with validation. read more

REI - Sporting Goods Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I got good shoes but it said outdoors for all and they did not have fishing stuff there was good service.

It is a huge store. Great selection of bikes and not only. Lifelong Membership - $30 one time payment. This is what I learned from their guy who was a bit annoying. But I liked this overall. read more

REI - WV - Sporting Goods Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Needed some winter boots so to REI I trekked. I am from the neighborhood so I know parking is tight to downright impossible on the street, but REI validates parking in the attached public garage. Stepping into the store I was blown away by the old Go-Go posters from the time when the D.C. Coliseum (the edifice that was there just prior to being torn down recently in the pernicious wake of gentrification that has seized my beloved hometown) the place to be to hear D.C.'s homegrown sound. The second thing I noticed was the sheer size of the store. It is huge. I later learned that this is a flagship location in the chain. The layout could be overwhelming but not an issue for me. The footwear is located on the upper level and boy do they have a great selection of winter boots. The prices of some were too rich for my blood but they had over twenty winter boot styles that were in the $99-$175 range. The two sales associates in footwear answered all my questions, quickly retrieved the ones I wanted to try, and ensured a proper fit. I am stoked that I scored a pair of waterproof Timberlands for $99. Check out was a breeze and it was there that I learned REI is a Co-Op that pays a yearly dividend to members. For $20 one time you too can join for a lifetime membership, including 10% dividend from full priced items. Also, parking is validated by the cashiers. The entire shopping experience was easy, represented a good value, efficient, and delivered on courteous service. My minor quibble is the restrooms. The store is easily one of the biggest non-big box retailers in the city, however, the restroom was tiny. One urinal, two toilets, two sinks, and only one hand dryer. Perhaps they have more than one restroom (I hope so)? Either way, this REI will be my go to location for all of my outdoor needs, including bike servicing. Oh, the New York Avenue Metro Station is just a stone throw away. Four stars. read more

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Better be a regular customer to get immediate service. They obviously don't care about the QR list. 2 people came in after me and greeted the workers then go immediate service. read more

This REI is such an asset to the community. Not only is it right on the red line, but it connects to plenty of cycling infrastructure! I've gone there for running clothing, winter clothing (coats and boots!), and cycling accessories. Their bike shop got me quickly repaired and on my way. Their Re/Supply selection is always good, and their employees are always kind and amenable to returns. read more

Update: Picked up my bike today and everything was done as the bike mechanic and I had discussed weeks earlier. On top of that the wheel seized while it was sitting around for 2 weeks so they replaced the wheel with what I was told is a better one. The management also comped the parts and labor. I spent some time speaking with the bike mechanic - again, they're very good here - and walked away feeling better. This is a review for the bike shop at the flagship DC store. I added one star for the abilities, kindness, and professionalism of the actual bike mechanics/techs/repair people. The problem with this bike shop isn't the technicians, but that the bike shop is absolutely disorganized as well as overwhelmed with the amount of business they undertake, and that the manager isn't interested in doing anything about it. So the long and short of it is, the bike shop here can be a dumpster fire and the manager knows it, but is not motivated in the least to fix it - apparently because he has a ton of business no matter what. The bike technicians themselves can be enthusiastic, helpful, and are even willing to show you how to maintain your bike, which is just great: But leaving your bike there for anything complicated means it could fall through the cracks and nothing or the wrong things are done to it. The place is very poorly organized. Like Kristin H, who left a 1-star review on 8/22/23, I've been an REI member for many, many years, and I absolutely have to agree with Kristin's review of this REI's bike shop: They have too much work to handle properly, are very poorly coordinated, and as a result, the place can't work smoothly. I was flat-out told by Tim the manager there that they are way, way too busy to do be able to do their work competently because they're overloaded with the work they agree to do, and to do it right would require making people "wait 6 weeks" and not the 2 I was told (which they still messed up). I lost my temper over the complete managerial bungling of this bike repair job, but this was actually my third bad experience I had there - I keep going back because it's easy to get to on a bike and visit this location, and because I bought my bike at an REI and doing so comes with 1 year of free bike adjustments. But they are unable to keep track of the work they've agreed to do: When I called them they had misplaced, lost, or just didn't have the work order I saw the bike tech write out - it's as if they have a ton of tiny bits of paper, and they need to read through all of them and even then they cannot find what work was ordered. The manager of the bike shop was, even after half an hour on the phone, unable to find the work which the bike technician and I had agreed on weeks earlier. Although it is imho understandable for anyone to be frustrated about this level of leadship ineptitude, it was rude and inappropriate of me to take it out on the poor phone guy, and I later apologized for losing my temper over their jaw-dropping level of incompetence. That's on me and I need to work on that, it's not right to get verbally frustrated with some guy on the phone, when the problem is really the manager of the place who can't make the necessary changes so that the shop can smoothly handle the volume of work they take on. As a result of my outburst the manager told me he didn't need customers like me because he has a huge backlog of other customers. He had a point . . . I guess? Anyway, after the manager and I calmed down, Tim flat out told me that he and his people can't handle the volume of work they keep accepting, which he said is far and away above that of REIs in other cities. Tim also told me that, that even though purchasing a bike from REI comes with a year of free tune-ups, his store is so backed up that he would appreciate it if REI members go to a different REI (these other stores unfortunately would require a car or other transport to get to). I do believe that managers are responsible for their shops and the buck stops there, with the leaders. The manager of this bike shop at this REI knows that he can't keep his customers happy, yet he doesn't do anything about it; he wasn't responsive to my request about how I could help him do better; and the impression I was left with is that he is just fine with the fact that his shop continues to accept work that they can't possibly perform on time or even at all - the notes he had available regarding the work they were to do on my bike was missing about 50% of the work the mechanic and I agreed they'd do to the bike. All in all this place can be a dumpster fire and management doesn't seem to care about it, choosing instead to shrug his shoulders and say 'that's how it is.' So expect no improvements there over time. To quote Kristin's 1-star review from just yesterday 8/22/23: "So go elsewhere. You'll at least do a favor in lightening the backlog for the poor suckers that think this is your average bike shop. Or a normal REI." read more

This place closes at 9pm and went there at 8:35pm like I use to do before but today the bike worker didn't want to take my bike because they said is too late and also the manager couldn't do anything. I'm bringing my bike for a regular service so I know that takes couple days but they didn't want to take it today so I'm bringing my bike home again. The manager is useless. This is the first time something like this happened to me at this store . Incredible . read more

REI - He trying to say there wasn't no body at the bikes area when there was two people working . Managers are no suppost to fix problems? - Sporting Goods Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Sure enough masks are allowed again. It's a massive store that you will lose yourself in

This store joined the NOMA neighborhood around 2017. It is spacious. Parking is a little challenging during the day. REI has lots of community events and free courses. The clothing items and camping gear are somewhat pricy. The variety of equipment for sale is impressive. If you are checking into Yelp, do it at the door since you may not have reception in the store. read more

Every time I go into the store, I find a group of employees that are happy to be there. On this trip, my encounter with the shoe department was amazing. Both sales people were really helpful and I found two pairs of running shoes and a pair of hiking boots that I love. I will keep coming back! read more

I went to pick up some items from the bike shop. There were three employees helping one guy, two employees slowly working on bikes, and a manager chatting with another employee. No other customers. 7 employees and 1 other customer. Stood at the desk staring at them hoping someone would look up and help out. Gave up after about 5min. Went to the boot deck. The guy there had no help and helped about 5 different groups of people get and try on shoes. Crushed it! Even found a better pair of shoes for me based on my plans. Back to the bike shop.... Couldn't find my account, had to find order numbers for them so they could find them. Got to the register and discovered that the bikes were 40% off now and had I not said anything they would have charged me full price. Guy at the register figured it out but this was a disappointing experience. I know I will shop there again because there are no other options for camping gear unless you go online. read more

Inventory doesn't match their website. Employees actively ignore you. In short it's the essential DC experience: ineffectual and waste of your time. read more

I've been an REI member for many years. So many things about REI are great, and this store's bike shop is sadly not one of them. Go elsewhere: this store is too busy for its own good. Their bike shop and and customer service issues are entrenched, and they don't bother to fix them due to their high volumes. I once called the store to discuss a particularly concerning experience and was mansplained and gaslit by the guy ostensibly responsible for customer service. The conversation left me in tears. Yes, the location is convenient to the metropolitan branch trail. But you will have to wait in line (at a location not in the bike shop but the bike shop won't tell you that, they will just ignore you). You will wait in line for longer than you think to eventually find out it will take days to weeks to turn around a repair that another shop could handle in hours. And if your experience is anything like mine, you will have a technician unnecessarily remove a part that functions as a safety feature and be told you have to come back another time for a $150 service in order to deal with the loss of that part. I didn't want to post this because I have been a fan of REI for so long. But trying to resolve this with the store led nowhere because...see above. When I called the store to speak about my experience and give them a chance to make it right, I got a lecture about how this is the highest grossing store for bikes, and never had my concern about the removed safety part acknowledged, much less resolved. So go elsewhere. You'll at least do a favor in lightening the backlog for the poor suckers that think this is your average bike shop. Or a normal REI. read more

This place sucks. Apart from being located in one of the most annoying parts of the city, their on-site stock does not match what's listed on the website. I just wasted a couple hours driving to and from this location just to find out they don't have the item I was looking for in stock, even though the website says they do and the staff's own stock list on-site says they do. They could not find the item. A mystery indeed. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I'm never wasting my time at this location ever again. What a sh*t show. read more

The REI store itself is pretty great inside. A lot of gear, more gear then clothing. There is a cool coffee shop attached to it. The big crip about this place is its location and no parking except for street(a block away) or paid garage. Great place just not the most convenient location read more

REI - Sporting Goods Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

They've got a great location right across the street from the Metro and a nice building. The selection inside never wowed me when I checked it out; to be fair I'm not that outdoorsy and my needs are not great; mostly casual clothing and shoes plus a few odds and ends. I did eventually try the idea of ordering a shirt on their website and getting it shipped to the store (I'd been waiting on it on Amazon and the price rocketed up). Somehow, the customer service desk where one picks these things up had a line at 3 in the afternoon. Even though there were two people working the desk, the pace was glacial; it seemed like they must just have their packages in a pile somewhere rather than organized in any way based on how long they took to find them. Of course, an extra ten minutes isn't a concern most days, but I was late to something because of it on this occasion, so I'm not happy. They seemed to have closed the fitting rooms on the men's side, so I put that off. Fortunately, I knew what I was ordering and it's a very nice shirt. I'm glad there is an REI in DC and I'm a member, but I could stand to see more interesting men's travel wear, better service with those pickups, and more things to draw me in. read more

Had issues (and a lot of tears) with another balance bike for our kid so had to return it and got a balance bike from this REI. De'Quann in the bike shop was amazing in putting it together and fitting it for their exact height. He did it quickly and helped explain all the adjustments. Smiles all around!!! Thank you!! read more

I came here to pick up my shoes that I ordered online, and after trying them out in nature, they were too big so I came back to return and get new ones. The staff helping me was very helpful, bringing me different shoes for me to try on. I finally got a pair that fit properly, and checkout was pretty speedy too. Parking on the street might be a bit tough, but it's not too bad! read more

Well done, REI. Seeing banner ad after banner ad for months, all the marketing dollars paid off. The DC REI is your best yet (and biggest store on the East Coast). Here's why: 1) It's a neighborhood shop. It's in the emerging neighborhood of NoMa. It's HUGE but they divide the store into less intimidating sections sprinkled with couches and sofas. 2) It's more than a sporting good store. There's DC art inside and La Colombe's fourth DC location inside with plenty of seating to enjoy a good draft latte and book. 3) It's historic. This building is the location of the first Beatles concert on US soil. The vintage posters inside nod to how awesome that is. 4) they're friendly. They hired an army of your friendliest millennials to welcome you the moment you step inside. 5) They're a university offering countless classes from fixing your bike tire to camping with toddlers. If you haven't already, stop by. Find the DC flag inside and Instagram it. All the cool kids are doing it! read more

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"Petite" or "regular"-sized? You're in luck, because that's all that this location seems to carry! I love REI and shop here almost weekly, but if you're tall, don't plan on finding pants that come in tall sizes. I've come a few weeks in a row and the pants in larger (12-16) sizes seem to all be "regular" or "petite" lengths. C'mon, REI! Tall/curvy women need pants, too! I'm tired of having to find everything online, waiting a week to get it in the mail, and hoping it fits! Please do better! read more

REI - Another casualty of "regular"-length pants... - Sporting Goods Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I like this store and the selection at this location is unequalled. The prices are just a bit extreme in my opinion. Me & James went on a Sunday and they had a sale but even with that the prices were crazy. read more

REI - The Beatles played here after the Ed Sullivan show - Sporting Goods Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Tl;dr REI needs to pay people better/put them on commission. We waited a ridiculous amount of time to spend some serious cash. Not a great business model! Long version: We have a camping trip coming up, and we have wholly inadequate and outdated sleeping bags and backpacks. We went to the REI in Eckington on Sunday, very excited to explore and load up with some cool gear. Walking into the store, it offered a very pleasant vista with neat displays, mostly geared towards camping, and my shopping salivary glands started working overtime. The Colonel and I headed to sleeping bags, and I learned, "wow" a good sleeping bag is expensive! So we started browsing, comparing using tags and signage. No one comes up to us to discuss these $250+ purchases. At the same time, one of the floor people is helping out another couple, and you can tell how excited she is to be sharing the love of camping and whatnot. Going from display to display with them, pointing out doodads and doohickeys. I have pulled out a possible sleeping bag, have it slung over my arm, and am looking around for staff. There is a sign that says we should 'try out' sleeping bags, but no idea how to do it. Nada from this lady. No held up finger, no eye contact, no, "I'll be with you in one moment" no, "Can I answer any questions you have?" Standing there, standing there. Finally I wander over to the adjacent backpacking area and gently inquire as to whether someone wants to help us buy "two sleeping bags, and also two backpacks" ($1000.00 minimum). Shortly thereafter Keith shows up (Keith is awesome) and helps us out with sleeping bag choice, pads, and some other stuff. He has it taken to the front desk while we head to backpacking. Jeez louise, there is that couple again, now they are monopolizing the backpacking guy. We are trying on backpacks, adjusting each other. 15 minutes goes by, 20 minutes goes by. Not a soul. It says we should have a fitting, but it seems like the 'rugged' couple is sucking up all of the oxygen in the room. Finally, we see Keith again, as he is apparently headed on his break, and he asks us if we are ok, "No, actually, we haven't been helped this entire time." So once again dear friends Keith steps into the breach. As we head over to the fitting area, the guy working there tells Keith, "Ohh man did you hear? They are going on an around the world trip, like from Patagonia to Bhutan." Um, what? Meanwhile, the 'rugged' lad is marching around with an 85 liter backpack that is way too big for him. He doesn't know the meaning of 'self-sustaining' or 're-supply' as we find out when they come back and TRY AND HORN IN ON KEITH. Oh hell no. Look, at the end of the day, we spend $1500.00 and just wanted to get out of there. Meanwhile, a couple of likely fantasists charmed the whole staff and I bet you bought nothing more than a canteen. We told the person who rung us up that Keith was very helpful. I hope he gets some credit for that! Otherwise, boo, REI, booooooo. read more

The store has what you need. They cover most activities very well. The location and parking are typical city issues. The staff is hit and miss on knowledge and service. read more

REI comes through in the clutch again. Made it to the bike shop with a flat tire just about 30 mins before close. Instead of making me pickup the next day, Keon put an end to a fairly unfortunate day by fixing it on the spot and sending me away with a much needed win to round out the weekend. Many thanks to REI's bike shop staff for their consistent customer service excellence and service value. read more

Great selection, knowledgeable staff. Prices are high. Parking is a tad tricky, free and available.

People walk in, take stuff off the rack, walk back out the front door and no one stops them. Why is this allowed? I realize REI has a great write off, corporately, but still? read more