REI
REI's Lincoln Park location is a full-service outdoor retailer covering camping, hiking, biking, paddling, and ski gear, with an in-house bicycle repair shop and a used-gear buyback and resale program. The store sits along the riverfront and includes a members' co-op model that lets shoppers own a stake in the company. It's the largest sporting goods store on this page by review count.
What people praise
- Staff praised for detailed fitting help with packs and hiking gear
- Used-gear buyback program lets shoppers save significantly
- Free indoor parking and filtered water noted by regular customers
- Riverfront location described as a pleasant place to spend time
Worth knowing
- Multiple reviewers reported slow or inattentive staff on the sales floor
- Bike repair service drew a specific complaint about incomplete work
Our take: The largest review base on this page by a wide margin, and the rating still holds at 4.4. It ranks first on that combination of scale and consistency, though the service complaints are worth reading if you're heading there for a repair.


