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REI Co-op Membership: Is it Worth It?

David Wilkinson author bio photo 1_1
ByDavid Wilkinson
Jul 15, 2025
Back to Top ⬆︎
The Cost
The Perks
About the Co-op
Supporting Your Local Outdoor Stores
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As outdoor enthusiasts, we all have the freedom to choose where we purchase our gear, whether from national retailers, directly from brands, local gear shops, or even consignment stores. REI Co-op (more on the company’s history and the “Co-op” part below) is one of the biggest players in the outdoor space. In the sections that follow, we break down the value of an REI membership, along with pertinent information about the company.

The Cost: $30 For A Lifetime Membership

In 2025, you can score a lifetime REI membership for a one-time fee of $30—once you check out, the Co-op assigns you a member number and the perks kick in. Back in the day, having a low member number was a point of pride, but with nearly 25 million members and counting, yours will likely be a long string of digits rivaling your Social Security number.


Fun fact: When REI launched in 1938, a lifetime membership cost just $1. But hey, adjusted for inflation, that would be around $22 in 2025, so there’s an argument that membership remains relatively affordable and hasn’t changed significantly.

The Perks

On to the important stuff: What exactly do you get for that $30 membership fee? As experienced outdoor gear consumers (way too experienced, in fact), we’ll rank the perks in order of importance and include some savvy advice for saving money in the process.

The Dividend! The divvy. It’s Christmas in March when those REI dividends hit member accounts (they’re released each March for the previous year’s purchases, so your 2025 dividend will arrive in March 2026). In short, REI adds up your full-price purchases for the year and gives you 10% back as store credit to spend on more gear.


Before 2022, members could redeem their dividend for cash or a check; however, it’s now only usable at REI stores or online at REI.com. But hey, this keeps us in the game longer and is just another excuse to keep the outdoor gear habit going.


Back to the math: buy a $140 pair of hiking shoes, and you’ll see $14 back in your account next March. Spring for a $499 Patagonia Storm Shift ski jacket, and you’ll get nearly $50 back. Spend $1,200 on full-price gear over the year—very doable if you’re active outdoors—and you’ll earn $120 back. And if you don’t spend much one year? No big deal. You won’t earn a dividend, but your membership still stands—lifetime, no strings attached.

For savvy outdoor gear shoppers, REI’s member coupons are almost as valuable as the dividend itself. The most notable perk comes during the annual Anniversary Sale in May, when members get 20% off one full-price item and 30% off one REI Outlet item. Every year, we save a big-ticket purchase for that moment—think a backpacking tent, hitch rack, or any item where 20% off makes a dent. Even if you don’t have a major gear need, using the coupon on a $150 pair of hiking boots still saves you $30—the exact cost of that lifetime membership.


REI runs a similar member sale in early November, which is perfectly timed for winter gear. We typically use our second 20% coupon for ski jackets or ski pants, goggles, or a solid winter coat. It’s also great for holiday gifting—getting 20% off a high-quality gift doesn’t hurt. Occasionally, REI tosses in a third coupon (usually around Labor Day), and those savings really start to add up. If you use your coupons on two $300 items each year—one in spring and one in fall—that’s $120 saved annually. In other words, you’ve quadrupled your $30 membership fee in a single year.

We’re getting into the smaller perks of REI membership, but this one is still worth highlighting: members get free U.S. standard shipping with no minimum purchase. That means whether you’re ordering a single pair of hiking socks, a water bottle, or snagging a deal on a discounted item, you won’t pay the usual $7.99 shipping fee that non-members face on orders under $60. You might not take advantage of this perk constantly, but when you do, it’s a nice touch, especially for impulse buys or quick gear needs.


For comparison, Amazon Prime now costs a hefty $139 annually (yep, every year), while REI’s lifetime membership is just $30—once, for life. Sure, your order volume from Amazon might be higher and more frequent, but the price gap is undeniable. One-time $30 fee for free shipping forever? We’ll take it.

Across the outdoor industry (and retail in general), return policies are trending more restrictive—shorter windows, restocking fees, and more fine print. REI, once famous for its lifetime return policy for members, had to scale back in 2013 after too many people abused the system. That said, the Co-op still stands out: in 2025, members have a 365-day return window, even for used gear, as part of REI’s 100% satisfaction guarantee. Non-members get a still-decent 90-day window.


We’d call that one-year return policy downright generous. For reference, Amazon typically offers 30 days, Backcountry caps returns at 30 days, and Evo.com allows 366 days—but only for brand-new, unused items with tags. REI gives you the chance to actually try the gear and still bring it back if it’s not working out.


That said, let’s keep it honest: REI’s policy only works if members don’t treat it like a free rental service. It’s meant for gear that legitimately doesn’t perform as expected—not stuff you used for a weekend trip and returned just because you could. The Co-op does flag suspicious patterns of abuse, and they should. If we want perks like this to stick around, it’s on all 25 million of us to use them responsibly.

The modern shopping model that should win out in the long run is one that blends the convenience of e-commerce with the benefits of a brick-and-mortar presence. Shopping online from the couch is hard to beat, but it’s undeniably helpful to have a local store for trying things on, handling returns (we much prefer dropping them off in person over navigating UPS or FedEx), or snagging last-minute gear. Whether you’re prepping for a spontaneous backpacking trip or just need an extra fuel canister or pair of socks, being able to walk into a store and walk out with what you need is invaluable.


As of 2025, REI Co-op operates an impressive 193 retail stores across the U.S. California leads with 32 locations, followed by Texas and Washington (11 each), and Colorado (10). Most are strategically placed in or near major population centers, where REI’s core consumers live and play. We see this robust in-person presence as a major plus for convenience, accessibility, and gear peace of mind. REI members also get 20% off bike and snow shop services, making that $30 lifetime membership pay for itself even faster, whether it’s a preseason ski tune or a quick derailleur adjustment.

About the Co-op

As outdoor consumers, we do our best to align with companies trying to do things the right way—and at Better Trail, we aim to live that way too. REI Co-op has been around so long that unless you’re a senior citizen or a Seattle local, you might not know much about its backstory. But here’s the gist: REI is a net positive for the outdoor community, and one of the few major retailers consistently pushing for meaningful impact.


Back to some history. REI turned 87 years old in 2025 and has a pretty legendary origin story. Back in 1935, Seattle mountaineers Lloyd and Mary Anderson were fed up with paying $20 for ice axes (a serious chunk of change at the time). Thanks to Lloyd’s German skills and a bit of creativity, they managed to order them directly from Austria for just $3.50 shipped. When Seattle’s climbing club, The Mountaineers, caught wind of the deal, REI was born. Officially founded in 1938 with just 21 members, the Co-op started as a shelf in a farmer’s co-op near Pike Place Market before eventually moving into a dedicated storefront on Pike Street. In 1955, REI hired its first full-time employee: Jim Whittaker, who would go on to become the first American to summit Mount Everest.


Today, nearly nine decades later, REI’s reach spans much more than gear. The Co-op plays an active role in climate action, protecting public lands, and promoting outdoor equity. And when it comes to sustainability—a value we care about deeply—REI leads by example, using its buying power to push the industry forward and producing some genuinely responsible in-house gear. (Here’s our sustainability report on the REI Co-op XeroCloud 3L, and a deeper dive into the brand.)


Supporting Your Local Outdoor Stores

We’ll wrap this article by coming full circle. REI is a national brand with a strong e-commerce presence and nearly 200 brick-and-mortar stores, and at Better Trail, we’ve all been members for years. In our experience, the $30 lifetime membership pays for itself quickly—even if you’re not a heavy spender. That said, we also strongly believe in the value of local outdoor shops. These stores employ people in our communities, often share trail and conditions beta, and offer a level of personal connection you won’t find online. We make a point to support them when we can. In our view, REI and local gear shops both play vital roles in the outdoor ecosystem—and there’s room to support both.