REI Co-op - Washington, District of Columbia

John Smith III

As a diehard REI member this was my first visit to a “flagship” store. Getting to the Washington, DC store is a race in itself. Tons of construction and side streets to contend with. Once you get there the parking situation is rather tight, there is a parking garage with metered parking and a lot attendant. Once you get to the actual store, it’s worth the headache of the journey. Tons of merchandise is displayed so amazingly good. It makes you want to throw your credit card to an available sales person and grab everything in sight. Brands from Yeti, Hoka, etc. fill the shelves and there is a coffee shop located within as well. The staff were friendly, courteous and helpful. I would truly visit this store a lot more if it weren’t for the hassles of getting to the store. Would rate the visit a 11 out of 10, definitely coming back again.

CM Sosa

I can't praise the customer service at this location enough. The staff are incredibly accommodating, understanding, and eager to help - it's such a refreshing experience! I love my Thule Motion XL, and a special shoutout to everyone who assisted me in loading it. Five stars all around! Remains out go to REI in the DMV.

ilman ilman

Wonderful place to find outdoor gears, shoes, and clothing. The place is also easy to find with So many brand options. The staff are professional and friendly, it has Cafe nearby and clean toilets.

Katie Sastre

Love this REI. I spent almost two hours trying on boots to find the perfect pair and Will was so helpful. Definitely recommend this REI and its great staff.

Cam „MILES“ Crocker

The bike shop at REI is definitely not worth going to.

When I went in, I told two mechanics the exact issues my bike was having. There’s the left thumb shifter that’s stuck, the chain, and the cassette. Once they took a look, they said I need a miscellaneous item and it would take 3 days to process.

After 3 days, my bicycle looked fine, yet the mechanics half-assed it. They did a firmware update that I didn’t ask for. They didn’t fix the left thumb shifter that I requested. Lastly, they didn’t fix the chain and the cassette. When I tried to shift to a different speed, the chain didn’t change to the speed on the cassette. Even though it was running smoothly, changing the speed was the difficult part.

Any bike shop would do. Just not this one.

Jason Baccus

Horrible experience - I went to this store wanting to try on and buy a pair of road running shoes. Stood in the shoe section for 10 minutes and nobody waited on me. Maybe you all will have better luck there than I did, but I’ll never go back there again. There are other stores that sell Hoka and OC. Good riddance.

Anthony P

Large store, backed by huge online business, where you can find new and used equipment and clothes/footwear - tried and tested. Unlike other retailers, staff are also tried and tested and my experience is that you often learn things after coming here from people that have lived the adventure you are seeking. Formal learning in the way of classes and actual tours are also a thing. REI stands behind their merch with a generous return policy; furthermore, they work with their customers - I have heard multiple hikers now getting mail dropped items while they were on long distance trails. They also have a nice coffee shop and clean bathrooms. This is the real deal!

Dale Youngkin

Last November I bought a Fjallraven coat from REI. I used it in the winter months in DC - NOT heavy expedition usage, just using for daily commuting in the city. I used it for approximately 4 months (Nov-Feb) and put it away for the season. This year when I tried to wear it, the zipper pull fell off the zipper, as the bottom piece of the zipper that normally keeps the zipper pull piece on had broken off. It was within the one year “no questions asked” return window so I took it to REI in NoMa to see what they could do. They refused to do anything, saying the coat was dirty from heavy usage and this was “normal wear and tear.” This is ridiculous as the coat was not usable and this should not be considered “normal wear and tear” for a $300+ coat that was only used 4 months (and was NOT dirty). Luckily, Fjallkraven is more reasonable. I contacted them and they asked for photos then asked me to send the coat to them. They also have a policy that anything “dirty” can’t be replaced. They got the coat and are sending me a replacement since the zipper can’t be replaced (and obviously didn’t think the coat was dirty since they accepted it). REI staff and the manager on duty when I tried to take the coat back were completely unreasonable and treated me like I was trying to scam them out of a new coat - and this was certainly NOT a “no questions asked” return as it should have been. I have generally like REI and will consider other stores other than the one in NoMa, but will avoid shopping at that store going forward.