R
REI
REI Berkeley: Gear for every outdoor adventure, with trusted service.
3.6
Boutique
$$$
REI Berkeley: Gear for every outdoor adventure, with trusted service.
REI at 1338 San Pablo Ave in Berkeley offers bicycles, shoes, clothing and other sporting goods in a clean, orderly store. Customers praise Jakkar in the bike department for fast, helpful service and Alia in the shoe department for friendly, caring assistance. It’s a go-to for hiking, camping and travel gear, with a straightforward returns policy and easy on-site exchanges. Some reviews note pricing concerns and a past service disruption.
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Professional services including tune-ups, cassette changes, and parts replacement to keep your bike ready for trips.
Expert assistance in selecting running and hiking shoes with personalized fittings for optimal comfort and performance.
High-quality clothing, camping equipment, and travel accessories from trusted brands and REI's own line.
Exclusive benefits for members, including a generous return policy, in-store pickup for online orders, and special discounts.
Try gear for up to a year with easy in-store returns or exchanges if items don't meet expectations.
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Overall rating
Johnson Zhang
absolutely awful place… I have been an REI member for 8 years, and it’s safe to say that I will never ever in my lifetime visit this store again. I dropped off my snowboard last week for tune + wax in preparation for my Christmas ski trip, but the store just closed without notice the day after my board service was completed. Nobody was picking up phone calls, the corporate doesn’t have any information either. All they said was that the store is closed until further notice due to facility issues. I have already spent $100 on the service, and now I have to either spent couple hundred more for rentals or cancel my trip, which are just extra out of pockets for me. The lack of communications and responsibility and protocol is just so disappointing… totally could’ve set up a pick-up area for customers who needed their products back. Now we can’t even be sure if our boards and skis are safe inside. By far, the worst REI experience ever. Never again Berkeley REI
Medicine Man
REI is overpriced and feels elitist. They have good stuff for sure but it seemed they used also have more reasonably priced alternatives, their own brand or others, for those who couldn’t spend so much. Now it’s more about fancy clothing and the most high tech thing or things they can charge maximalist prices for. At least keep some good offerings of basics good quality things for those who don’t have tech jobs.
Andrew Brosnan
On August 10, 2025, Alia in the shoe department helped me with running shoes. She was friendly, efficient, and demonstrated caring for my experience. (Over the last few years, I have had experiences with staff who didn't seem to care or seemed like a cold, I'm-too-cool-for-school barista.) Gives me faith in the store again. Give her a raise!
Jesse Zarate
Jakkar in the bike department gave exceptional service and a super fast and helpful service. Needed a quick cassette change and few other parts fixed before a bike trip. Recommend.
Hanne Mohr Sachs
My go to place for hiking/camping and travel related gear. You can try things for a year and if they don't work out, you can return them. If you buy online from their website and have it sent to one of the stores you can see, while you are there if it fits/meets your expectations. If it doesn't, return or exchange is super easy right there. People who work there are generally friendly and helpful and the store is orderly and clean.
