REI, Houston TX

Academy is just around the corner! Same product line & more, if you consider Academy's hunting dept. REI not only gets wooped by their competitors in Price, but Common Sense as well. I'm happy to think REI might not crawl out of their coffin after the virus slow down & don't bother asking even a REI manager what 2+2 equals because you'll question why you're there in the 1st place.

Staff was great. Every employee we encountered asked us if we need help and was happy to assist.

Quality equipment - good helpful staff. I dislike how they draw you in w emails and coupons just to find out the sale item is not in stock and the couple is usually online only.

Great store. Great products. Great Service. Thieves in parking lot.

No security cameras. Security guard present. But, got burglarized anyway.

Always a pleasure to shop here. Knowledgable staff in every department, and excellent service every time. Today, the person helping me recommend shoes based on the pro/con list I had from my current pair. Not only did he recommended a good selection, but told me why he recommended each shoe. That made a world of difference and I highly doubt I'll have any issues with the shoes I chose.

Added bonus: responsible-pet friendly, so I get to work on public access training while I'm here.

Good prices for quality equipment. Very friendly, knowledgable staff that answered all my questions. Clean, well organized store with prices clearly marked on all items. One of my favorite stores to shop at.

*Update - I visited this location a second time on May 1st, 2019 shortly after they opened in the AM. Once again, the staff was highly knowledgable and provided top notch customer service, answering all my questions that I had about multiple pieces of camping and hiking equipment that I was planning to purchase in the next month or so.

After an extremely positive experience inside the store, I arrived to my vehicle to find that it had been broken into and several expensive items had been stolen out of my vehicle.

I understand that REI is not responsible for the parking lot area, and they may even have the blanket signage that all retail establishments put on their doors to deflect blame for anything that occurs in their parking lot.

Unfortunately though, I cannot give this location anything more that 1 star, due to the fact that they have zero cameras anywhere on the outside of their property. As a matter of fact, none of the establishments have any cameras anywhere in the parking lot area, with the exception of Ashley Furniture a couple doors down, which I was informed that "those cameras probably are not even on" when I inquired as to whether they may have picked up footage of my vehicle getting broken into.

Doing something as simple as installing cameras in the parking lot to create an additional level of safety for their customers would go a long way. Unfortunately, they won't, and it is for this reason that I will no longer shop at the Willowbrook REI.

This place has the best clothing selection for Houston summer weather!

I used to shop at Academy for most clothing, but REI has so much better service and selection. I bought two all Nylon work shirts online and had it delivered to the store. I tried both on and decided to return the other one. They refunded my money immediately, no fuss. I really appreciate that because I run a little taller than most guys and need something that doesn't rise up when I bend over.

Their summer clothes are marketed as being able to allow your skin to breathe and dry out faster than jeans or cotton work pants. This is also a great place to look for rock climbing gear. Really like this store! 5/5 stars

Not one of their largest stores but the staff is extremely helpful without being obtrusive. They also have lots of hands on workshops and activities. If your looking for top of the line outdoor gear or some harder to find items look no further.

Very poor customer service.bad experience with the staff and manager.don’t remember his name but I will never go back to that tomball location.

For a backpacker like me, having a brick-and-mortar REI store - filled with people that "get me" - is a great thing about living in the big city.

Went in to try on hiking shoes for an upcoming trip. Staff is extremely knowledgeable, helpful and patient!

Fantastic support and workers as well as products that fit and work to whatever is required. Solid staff and store.

I love this location. The staff are always friendly and helpful and willing to swap a story with you.

I shop at many stores and online, and they all have their purpose, but if you need a better variety of higher performance and quality gear, visit REI. They know their products and can help you pick out what will work for you.

Went window shopping and left with more things I wanted but didn't need at the moment. Several employees came and asked if I needed help finding something. Would come back again

Very helpful staff who actually work out on the floor. Very expensive store but high end excellent quality items. Nice flow of items through store. They sell items focused on outdoor activities such as cycling, camping, kayaking and such. They even sell surfboards.

I bought these Zamberlan boots for $305 with an extended warranty I have had them for 3 months and go to return them because of the top of the boot falling off and the side of the boot wore off and they said theres too much wear and tear on them.now I'm no professional but I do believe having a boot for 3 months theres no wear and tear someone could put on them that they shouldn't return them. Very disappointed in this places costomer service.would not recommend getting a hiking boot from here and paying top dollar for.with extended warranty.it even says on the bottom of there receipts if you are not satisfied with your purchase you can return or get a replacement, all I want is a replacement I love the boots

This REI store is the best! THE BEST! I had an issue with my very first improperly fitted chaco sandals I bought online, but staff in this REI store helped me all throughout the exchange process. It was a hassle trying to find my size online that carried the same sale price. However, just like what this store staff member said “We take care of our customers. ” As much as it sounds like an overstatement or a cliche, they really do! Because it took so long to find a solution for my sandal exchange online they deducted a very small amount of the price. They did not have to, but they did. It did not end there! Since i live quite far from any REI store, they promised to ship my sandals. I left the store and the day after I found out that my sandals arrived! It was totally unexpected since I was just at the store yesterday! My mere chaco-buying experience made it worthwhile because this store cares for their customers!
I wish i remembered the names of staff members that helped. Thank you, whoever you are!
REI, you got a new lifetime customer!

I’ve always had such a positive experience with the staff here, or at any REI for that matter. They are extremely helpful, patient and knowledgeable. I really want to give them 5 stars but my recent experience left me a little confused. I was returning three items I bought online, all unused, still with tags and delivered to me within the past week. The sizes on two of the items were too small and since I bought them online at the outlet, I couldn’t exchange them for larger sizes from the physical store. I had a paper receipt ready and in hand for all three items.

When I went to return them, the person who helped me (Mariann) was very belittling and condescending. Even though the tags were all still attached and the receipts were dated within the past week, she made me justify why I was returning the items. When I told her I wasn’t satisfied with the thin lining at the bottom of the Big Agnes sleeping bag I was returning, she didn’t believe me and questioned me further and asked me to expound on the lining. She went as far as reading the description on the tag of the bag for herself (as if my personal dissatisfaction with the item that I paid for wasn’t enough). Then she ended the whole ordeal by rudely asking if I’d used the item. I felt like I was being unnecessarily interrogated for an item that I bought online, didn’t have a good feel for and was returning. I’ve never felt such disrespect when returning items, and I rarely ever exchange items because of the hassle of having to look for receipts.

Someone from REI please talk to her and remind her how to best handle returns. But mostly, someone please retrain her to treat ALL customers with more dignity. Though I must reiterate, I’ve been more than pleased with the service I’ve gotten from everyone else at this location.

The only place where I found a Garmin watch available. GPS position wasn’t very accurate. Very good shopping there. Friendly staff