REI discounts outdoor gear up to 50%

REI deals are back, but the headline needs a little decoding. The real event is REI’s 2026 Anniversary Sale, which runs from May 15 through May 25 and covers more than 6,000 products. The catch is that “up to 50% off” is not really the main sale story. Basically, REI’s official promo is centered on 25% discounts, while the bigger 50% cuts are showing up in clearance and outlet inventory. ### What actually launched? The official thing on the calendar is the REI Anniversary Sale. REI calls it its biggest sale of the year, and the company says everyone gets 25% off REI Co-op brand clothing and gear plus up to 25% off popular outdoor brands during the May 15–25 window. Members get extra offers on top of that. So if you saw a story framing this as a giant 50%-off event happening right now, that’s only partly true. (rei.com) ### Where does the 50% number come from? It comes from a different bucket on REI’s site — deals, outlet, and past-season clearance. REI has a live “Deals 50% Off” section with more than 1,000 products, and those markdowns can be real. But those are item-by-item clearance prices, not the broad rule for the Anniversary Sale itself. Think of it like a store window saying “up to 50% off” when most of the floor is still 20% to 25% off. The number is true, but it is not the whole shape of the promotion. (rei.com) ### So are the roundup stories wrong? Not exactly — but they blur two different things. Tom’s Guide highlighted a spring REI sale and pointed readers to apparel from Patagonia, The North Face, Helly Hansen, and Vuori at up to 50% off. That matches what you can find in clearance and deal pages. But REI’s own Anniversary Sale pages and newsroom post set a lower official ceiling for the main event: 25% off for the big seasonal push. ### What kinds of products are actually discounted? (rei.com) A lot of warm-weather staples are already marked down — sandals, trail shoes, base layers, shorts, jackets, headlamps, and camping gear. REI’s preview page shows examples like Garmin’s inReach Mini 2, Patagonia Nano Puff jackets, Vuori shorts, and REI Co-op merino layers already below list price. Outlet inventory adds more brand-heavy deals, including KEEN, Merrell, Teva, Helly Hansen, and Arc’teryx. (tomsguide.com) ### Why does the distinction matter? Because shoppers plan around these sales. If you think everything will be 50% off once the Anniversary Sale starts, you may wait for a discount that never appears. But if the item you want is already sitting in clearance, waiting can backfire — sizes and colors disappear first. The difference between “sale event” pricing and “clearance bin” pricing is the whole game here. (rei.com) ### What should shoppers watch for? Watch the calendar and the category. The Anniversary Sale starts May 15. Clearance is live now. Member perks can stack value even when the sticker discount looks smaller, especially on REI Co-op gear. But premium brands often get lighter markdowns than the splashy headlines imply, so the smart move is to compare the exact item page, not the marketing banner. (rei.com) ### Bottom line? REI is absolutely discounting outdoor gear right now. But the clean version is this: the official 2026 Anniversary Sale is mostly a 25%-off story, and the 50%-off story lives in clearance. If you know that going in, the deals make a lot more sense. (rei.com)