REI

The store has a decent selection and it is very clean. That being said, the staff is about the unfriendliest bunch I’ve ever experienced. I went in to buy a specific pair of shoes (I had every intention of buying!) and I had to wait fifteen minutes while every other customer around me was waited on before me. The least I expected was a polite «we will be with you momentarily after we help these other customers.» Nope. No acknowledgement of my existence. Come on!

Smaller location, but has everything you need. I have scored some awesome clearance items here!!! Staff has always been friendly. We have done ok here in regards to shoes and sizes needed. It is not the largest selection, but if they have what you want it’s all good. We tend to shop at several REI locations, but when near here we like it.

After escalating my problem to the R.E.I. corporate office in Kent, WA I finally got a resolution and was able to return my bicycle.
I had to talk to customer service, legal counsel, district managers and corporate managers before being put into contact with manager Doug at the Issaquah location.
Doug was amazing, he called me at home, apologized for all the hassle and assured me he would make it right. The next day I went in and he kept his word. R.E.I. has retained my wife and myself as loyal customers.

Not the biggest REI store but still does have a lot to offer. Friendly employees with good customer service. All my experiences have been really great. The only thing that really holds them back is just the size of their store.
I wish they had more of a shoe selection but you can always use the REI website.

Nice location, clean, friendly staff.

I made a last minute trip to this REI on Black Friday about half an hour before they closed. Even after what I’m sure was a crazy day, Trevor assisted me with genuine care and went through the pluses and minuses of many jackets without rushing. I ended up leaving with a jacket that I love and a great feel for the Issaquah REI. Thanks for the help, Trevor!

Caution: long story.
So a few years ago I picked up some asolo backpacking full leather boots. When I bought them they told me that they would be good for at least 15 yrs. After about 3 years the soles completely fell off and the stitching on the back heel was all tearing. It wasn’t long until they were unuseable, which of course was frustrating. Upon taking them to the store to see if I can fix them they told me that there is nothing I can do and that this is just normal wear and tear. This of course was absurd. I did not put more than 500 miles on them and I was promised they would last for many more years. Upon deliberation, I decided to go back again and try to get them fixed. This was a positive experience and they told me that I could get them fixed and rei would pay for the difference. It was frustrating how long it took to get what I wanted but eventually it did happen.
I told them that I didn’t want to rip them off because I really like rei, but felt like if I was going to be spending $ 300 on a pair of shoes I should expect to get more then 3 years out of them. I appriciate that they fixed my boots, but it cannot be denied that the process was longer and more tedious then it should have been. I trust rei to sell brands that can take the beating and go the distance, which wasn’t the case with these shoes.
Rei gets 3 stars because it’s hit or miss with the employees. One experience was amazing and one was horrible and left me questioning if I should ever trust rei again.
I hope this helps.

Picked up my wife’s new road bike tonight. Screaming deal on s closeout Raleigh! Thanks REI. Very knowledgable staff and the bike was ready to go. I will be back!!! 1^st tune up is free too!!!

i’ve been to this REI several times. Usually I’ve had a really good experience. sometimes it can be difficult to track down some help but when I do, I usually always get friendly staff that are very helpful. I recently returned a pair of hiking poles cause one was broken and they exchanged them for new ones without any questions. I was thrilled!

I came by here today to look for some hiking shoes, since I have taken up hiking this past summer and my regular Nikes aren’t cutting it. When I got to the shoe department, there was only one older gentleman working there. He was helping another customer when I got there. I grabbed a shoe that I liked and asked if he could get it in my size. He snapped at me, and told me he would help me after he finished helping the other customers. I was like ok… after he finally brought out the other pair, he left to go help the other customer and didn’t even ask if I liked the shoe or if they fit. I mean I know this isn’t going to be Nordstrom service, but I’ve had better service for shoes at other stores. Luckily, it fit great, so I left to go pay it at the front. Or else I would’ve probably left without buying any shoes at all!

ordered a bike from
, did ship to store. the bike was supposed to get here may 31^st, i finally got an email today (june 4^th) that it has arrived in store. this may be an issue from the shipping store, that’s fine. but when we got to this rei, they said that the email means the BOX is here, not that it’s actually ready to be picked up because it hasn’t been assembled yet. this is the emphasis and the explanation that was given to us. ohhhhh, i see! (sarcastic.) it was super inconvenient to get there, and the email is literally titled «item ready for pick up.» and on top of that, when my husband asked when it would be ready, he stated that it MIGHT be ready tomorrow before the end of the day. might? after being five days late already? what a bull s**t sales associate. thanks for nothing.

This review is about Melinda who was helping me pick out a road bike. I went to the alderwood mall to try out a bike that was unfortunately not in stock. Customer service directed me to issaquah where they had one more left in stock. I decided to make the trek down. As a bike newbie, I really needed help. Melinda was amazing. She patiently explained everything about the size, specs and components and worked with me to make sure I was picking the right bike for me. I spent almost three hours there! I ended up with a Scott road bike with a killer sale price. She had already left work and I didn’t really get to thank her for her awesome customer service and helping put me at ease to make such a big purchase. Thanks, Melinda!

It’s not small, but also not as big as some other REIs. There’s still always way too many things I wish I could splurge on. I’ve shopped at this particular location many times over the past few years and I’ve always gotten exemplary service, the staff is knowledgeable and friendly and I end up leaving with a smile.

I was told today at the local REI store that my 40 pound Aussie was not welcome there and asked to leave.
I’ll be taking my business from now on to Dick’s Sporting Goods or Sports Authority where my Aussie is welcome.

Beautiful location, extremely helpful staff, and very knowledgeable. We bought a folding bike through them, and though there were some hiccups with the company we ordered from, the REI staff took care of all it. They even put the bike together and did a tune up. Highly recommend.

The flagship REI was out of stock on the item we were looking for, so we decided to drive to the Eastside, to the Issaquah REI. Some of the previous reviews mentioned poor service, but we were pleasantly surprised and quite happy with the level of service we received.
We’re from out of town (Vancouver Canada) but were on a mission to find some good quality skis at a reasonable price. REI has always been quite competitive and offers a good selection. You also get to research their product offerings on-​line before you head to the store.
We found the skis we wanted and needed the bindings installed on 2 pairs of skis. After mentioning that we were from Canada and would only be in town for the day, the staff expedited our order and completed the work in less than 2 hours. I should mention that this was on a busy Saturday afternoon right after Christmas!
We have always been happy with REI and the staff at all their stores. Product selection is not always readily available but the staff will search their database to find a location nearby that has the stock.
Oh and don’t forget, as members you earn an annual 10% dividend, so you can come back and buy more stuff.

This store has the same square footage as the flagship downtown and the staff is much more attentive because they have half the traffic. I really like coming here, even though the women’s shoe section is a little smaller than it is downtown.
Good store, good employees, good selection. Worth the trip to the East Side.

So this review is about um… insect repellent.
I am headed off to Asia in less than a month. China to be exact. While I will be visiting several large cities, I will also be visiting a mountainous region. Not taking any chances, I decided to pick up some insect repellent for the trip.
While it is easy to find insect repellent online, you still have to pay shipping charges or buy additional stuff to get free shipping. Not to mention, I didn’t want to have to buy a big bottle since I don’t think I will need to use too much of it.
Hence, finding it locally was the easiest way to go. The insect repellent products at Target are not strong enough, so I headed over to the Issaquah REI after checking their website of available products.
While this REI is smaller than the flagship location downtown, it is sizable enough to fill the needs of most people. They carry all sorts of outdoor gear including camping gear, luggage, clothing and bikes.
Their insect repellent section is sizable with plenty of choices to choose from. They have full size bottles as well as travel size ones that would fit in your pocket. They even have insect repellent wipes. Also if you need more info than what is on the package, go to the price scanner and scan the item. Noticed the scanners provide additional information about product along with the price.
In addition to insect repellent, they have a nice selection of travel size products for trekkers. You can find many personal care items like shampoo and soaps (ex. Dr. Bronner’s) along with items that would come in handy while on your journey including kitchenware, water bottles, empty containers and freeze dried food.
While REI offers products targeted at the outdoors enthusiast, I found that many of these items would be useful for those travelling. Particularly people heading overseas.
The caveat with a store like this is that prices can be high as they are specialty goods. However, REI is worth a visit if you need to pick up gear locally.

Since we’ve moved to the Eastside, we come into this REI instead of the one in downtown Seattle. This store is a lot smaller, but I’ve always been able to get what I’m looking for here. The staff are great and the service has been pretty fast in our experience. I do agree that the store doesn’t have a ton of selection like downtown, but it is maybe a quarter in size as the flagship. Our most recent experience…
We stopped by on Sunday to pick up hiking boots for the two of us. The place was pretty busy with early holiday sale shoppers and a bunch of people who looked like they were getting ready for the snowy week ahead. We had to wait a bit to get help with shoes — me needing to try on several pairs and many sizes. I did noticed though that an additional staff member came by to help out in shoes when things were getting really busy to help alleviate the wait.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have the shoes I wanted in stock, but the sales guy helping us out wrote down all the information so a cashier was able to order the boots for me and have them shipped to our house (free shipping for members!). The whole checkout process including the order and paying for the hubby’s shoes took less than 5 minutes.
My shoes showed up today — Wednesday. Not too shabby for in store ordering and delivery home!

What’s up with the Customer Service here?
The customer service reps don’t seem to really care about making sure you are being taken care of.
I’ve had multiple experiences where the customer service rep makes it seem like it’s a pain for them that you want to return something or your crazy for asking them a question like locating another size for a product.
You get no smiles just blank stares of, «How dare you return anything or I don’t have time to help you.» Sometimes I just want to grab one of these reps, shake them and ask what the hell is wrong with you?!? «
Don’t offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee and return option if you are going to flip attitude about people returning things.
I’m giving this a 1 because the people in the shoe department are extremely helpful and extremely nice otherwise they would get a negative 2.
I’m a patient person, I’m an extremely nice person, I understand people have bad days, but I have no patients for this place.
If you need to go to REI, go to the Tukwila store or Seattle store where pretentiousness does not exist and the staff are extremely helpful and nice.
This is the last time I set foot in REI Issaquah.