REI - San Carlos, California

Maddie W.

This review is for John in the backpacking section!! He helped myself and my bf today while i was buying my first backpacking set up. the knowledge this man had was amazing. He was so kind and SO enthusiastic and spent so much time helping me get fitted into the right pack, teaching us how to tell if something fits right, the differences between packs, and how to pack a bag correctly. he didn’t even get upset when i needed to try on almost all of the women’s packs to find my perfect fit (and ended up picking the second one i tried). Thanks a ton John!!

All T. O.

The addiction is real!!
Spent $550 yesterday and came back for more and spent only $36 since I found the shirt I liked and they had my color....boy, oh boy, it's like a candy store for the outdoorsy people and man...how much did I really need all these things

Not really, it was definitely a want instead! I wished I worked here just so I could get a damn discount!

I am addicted...and it's not good!

Staff rocks and the place is not cheap, but the quality and service is top notch! To say you get what you pay for is beyond true at REI, and I think the quality is worth every penny, especially when on sale!

Luke X.

I recently had an outstanding experience at REI in San Carlos, thanks to Darin in the bike shop. I was dealing with a rattling sound inside the frame of my road bike, and Darin took the time to perform a full, thorough assessment. He was incredibly patient, detailed, and never rushed through the process. What really impressed me was that he didn’t try to upsell or push any additional products—just genuine care and expertise to solve my issue. In today’s fast-paced retail environment, finding someone so dedicated and honest is truly rare. Thank you, Darin, for your exceptional service. Five stars all the way!

Jason X.

Great store - spacious and clean, there’s always parking, and service is good. There’s staff floating about to help you, and Angela at check out was emanating the most positive vibes!

Son L.

This place has fantastic and friendly service. Don't expect a lot of inventory in this place like other REI locations. However you can order things online and if it doesn't work out you can return them to the store.

We picked up a sleeping bag that was on sale during Memorial Day.😁

Marilena P.

We stopped in a few weeks ago looking to get fitted for a pack. Dan was super helpful and getting me measured and suggesting different options. Lots of product knowledge and education from his own experience and just in general for a beginning backpacker. We came back today for the sale and he was again really friendly and helpful in getting my dad fitted for a pack. Overall great experience

Andreia D. S.

Hi,

We went to the store to buy what we need for one night of camping. The tent was important for us that it was easy to install.
However I felt that after we made the decision with the tent, everything we were advised to buy was just super expensive and in each category the most expansive product . The first sales rep we spoke with was very kind and professional. But then another young man came and we felt treated quite arrogantly, he said he is 18, he seemed to be annoyed by our daughter‘s questions, and gave her a sticker, saying that we work together and that means for him that she is not interrupting while we talk. We didn’t appreciate that. If our daughter has questions, we want to hear them. We are making decisions as a family, and we think it was not his place to act like that.

And then he was super super insisting that we buy the most expensive mats they have. I had to say 3-4 times, that we have some mats and that is why it is not worthy for us to spend extra 800 $ for one night. He used all the arguments, while we should buy on the spot. I said very clearly no. And then he said, then we can come back later, as this mat is the most expensive and they don’t sell is often. That just made me feel even worse. I don’t like to be pushed in my decision. I very much appreciate professionalism and knowledgeable advice, but not to be pushed, and if I say 1-2 times no, then it should be enough.

Then he insisted that we make the membership and we tell at check out that he recommended the membership. I felt stressed out, and rather that they were trying to sell us all most expansive products instead of listening to our needs.

It was the first time we went to REI in San Carlos and I feel very disappointed.

So I would say the store is big, has parking, the Oper people we spoke to were very nice, they have good choices and different brands. For all that 5 stars. But the fact that they tried to sell us only the most expensive products and we felt that they were very pushy, that is something we don’t appreciate at all.

And just as a last tiny peace of info, the head lamp he recommended and we bought, I found on Amazon for 19 $ instead of the 49 $ that we payed at REI.

W T.

Picked up a pair of ski boots there today. Staff were super nice and knowledgeable. They were very patient and detailed explaining the ins and outs of the boots. They found the best fitting pair for my feet and my special situations. I am an advanced snowboarder but beginner skier. So its best for me to go with slightly high flex, but not too high since I am not a big person. They taught me the proper way to put the boots on and how to maximize the life of them. This kind of expert advices don't exist on Amazon. In fact, for the few pairs of boots I looked at, REI's prices are super competitive even to the internet only sellers.

The store is huge with lots of other outdoor treasures. They also sell bikes and do repairs. Tons of camping stuff.

Worth noting that their website is awesome. It's easy to browse stuff on their website, then find out if the item is in stock in the local store. Then just go there to check out the real thing and walk out with it!