REI cuts outdoor apparel up to 50%

Outdoor-sale season is here, but the headline number needs a reality check. REI’s actual 2026 Anniversary Sale runs from May 15 through May 25, and the official pitch is up to 25% off top brands plus 25% off REI Co-op clothing and gear — not a blanket 50% apparel event. Some deeper cuts do exist in outlet and clearance listings, but that’s a different bucket. ### So what’s actually on sale? The main event is REI’s Anniversary Sale, which the co-op calls its biggest sale of the year. It covers more than 6,000 products, with discounts across clothing, footwear, camping gear, and accessories. The official sale page shows current deals and previews, including items from Patagonia, Vuori, HOKA, Garmin, and REI’s in-house label. ### Where did the “50% off” idea come from? (rei.com) Basically, it looks like deal posts are mixing three things together — the Anniversary Sale, the REI Outlet, and ordinary clearance markdowns. REI’s own sale announcement says “up to 25%” on popular outdoor brands. But outlet pages today show scattered items discounted more deeply, including some apparel and footwear above 25% off. That’s real, but it’s not the same as saying the whole apparel push is 50% off. ### Are there member-only perks? Yes — and this is where the sale gets more interesting. REI members get extra coupon offers during the event window, with the current coupon terms showing code `ANNIV26` valid from 12:01 a.m. Pacific on May 15 through 11:59 p.m. Pacific on May 25. That means the cleanest strategy is not just browsing markdowns, but pairing one big full-price or outlet purchase with the member code if you’re eligible. (rei.com) ### What kinds of apparel deals are showing up? The apparel mix is broad — shorts, base layers, fleece, jackets, sandals, and trail shoes. On REI’s pages right now, examples include Vuori Kore shorts, Patagonia Nano Puff jackets, REI merino base layers, and various sandals and hiking shoes. But the percentages vary a lot by color, size, and whether the item sits in the main sale or outlet section. That’s the catch — the flashy number may only apply to a narrow slice of inventory. (rei.com) ### Why does timing matter here? Because this is the seasonal reset before summer trips. May is when shoppers start replacing trail shoes, sun hoodies, rain shells, camp basics, and travel layers. REI is leaning into that window with an 11-day sale and early previews, which gives shoppers time to compare prices before the best sizes disappear. The co-op is also framing this as a storewide moment, not just a one-day flash drop. (rei.com) ### Is this better than waiting? Usually, yes — if you already know what you need. Anniversary Sale pricing is broad and predictable, while late-season clearance can go lower but gets much messier on sizing and color choice. Think of it as the difference between shopping a full rack and digging through leftovers. If you want a specific Patagonia jacket or Vuori short in a common size, earlier is safer than holding out for a hypothetical deeper cut. That last point is an inference from how REI structures its sale and outlet inventory. (rei.com) ### What should shoppers watch for? Watch the category label first. “Anniversary Sale,” “Outlet,” and “Clearance” are doing different jobs, and the discount language can blur together fast in roundup posts. Also check whether a price applies to all colors and sizes or just one odd variant. That’s where a lot of “up to” marketing lives. ### Bottom line The real story isn’t that REI suddenly slashed all outdoor apparel by 50%. (rei.com) It’s that the co-op’s biggest annual sale is about to start, the official discounts are mostly capped at 25%, and the smartest buys are the items you were already planning to grab before summer.