Sports Basement

Rented ski equipment here last week. Since we (a group of 7) are total beginners, I made a call in advance to check the price and more importantly, to check if we need different equipment for XC and ski (none of us ever XCed). The person who answered the phone said «if we do not do rigorous XC, we would not need different equipment for XC». So we only rented ski boots and skis. Then of course, we ended up paying extra at Tahoe XC since they are totally different! But we I got back to the store to return and try to argue with the person at the counter about this, she simply wouldn’t accept my story, saying they couldn’t possibly make such a mistake. It felt like I was lying and the whole thing was a scam! Why would I lie about something like this? Honestly I don’t need your refund or any monetary reimbursement. It is her attitude that annoys me. This is nothing I would expect from any type of store. I would never come back again.

I love Sports Basement. Great selection and alternative to REI. Cool and helpful staff.

Fricking love this place! Huge selection, good deals, and they donate to my kid’s school every time I shop there. Open late, too. I’m never going back to REI or North Face again!

I am actually really happy for Berkeley to own such a professional store for outdoor gears. Especially when the snow season comes, it is the perfect time to buy lift tickets, rent gears and try out things (I dont really want to say «buy things» since they are actually pretty expensive).
I visited once and got a face mask and a pair of snow glasses. Shocked by the size of the store, I found it was somehow difficult to find what you want, as there were nearly no signs to show different categories. And as I mentioned before, things are expensive. For like snow jackets or pants, I would rather come in and try out the size, then go back home and buy cheap ones on Amazon. If you are professional, I am guessing this place can be a favorite. I just did not see the point of buying, say a helmet, for like 300 dollars.
Overall I think it is a great place to look around and would definitely come back to rent snow gears, as it is way cheaper than on-​site rental!

4 stars cuz it is FREEZING trying on swimsuits, bit Kelsey was SUOER helpful in Backpacks & Camping Gear!

I just love this place. I’ve been buying clothes at the Sports Basements in SF for years, but I just bought a bike from this Berkeley location. The staff could not be nicer here; everybody from the bike mechanics to the cashiers are just incredibly nice and making sure you get the right product for the best price. And I love their Basementeer program. With all of the great prices, the progressive environmental practices, and the classes they offer, Sports Basement really reminds me of what REI was in the early 1980s… before they became all about profit. Sports Basement is deserving of profit, but they clearly don’t put it above all else, and it really shows. I’ll come here first every time.

A Large warehouse with everything you could ever use in sports! The prices are reasonable and selections are plenty. I’m so glad they still kept many of the artifacts from the old ice skating rink. This place is really cool.

This Sports Basement is amazing. Thay have so many things for real sports activity. Places like Big 5 or sporting goods places in malls, for example, don’t have the goods if you are REALLY into something, they just sort of basically cover the entry level gear you will need. This Sports Basement has gear that will last you well into competitive range for many sports. For example, they have the highest end running shoes, watches and socks as well as all the gear you will need for a triathalon. They do not supply the knowledge required to decide between items though. The employees are helpful and accommodating, but not particularly knowledgeable. You can however sit on their comfy couches and Google as much as you need to.
Another great feature of Sports Basement is a liberal return policy. If you purchase shoes and run outside in them and do not like them they will still take them back. They have many things on super sale which makes them a steal, but non-​sale items are at full retail. The space is so large there are a vaierty of classes and meetings available here too so you can connect with other sporty types.

Easily the best place in the Berkeley/​Oakland area to shop for sporting equipment. The staff at all the locations are super courteous and knowledgable in their areas.
They have a great selection for every thing.

I’d visited the Sports Basement in SF several times while living there (for fitness stuff, to rent skis and camping equipment, to pick up propane for our grill, etc.) and always had a great experience.
Therefore, on my first day riding my bike to work as a new resident of Berkeley, I was pretty excited to ride past the new Sports Basement on Milvia! The space is fantastic and well-​stocked, and the employees are friendly and helpful.
And they have a full-​service bike shop! I’ve visited the bike shop twice thus far (no more weekly flats for me now that they’ve fixed me up with new tires), and will continue to do so, since the folks working there are awesome.
Hooray for Sports Basement!

It is great to have Sports Basement in Berkeley. Now I don’t have to go to the one in the city to do my sporting goods shopping.
What I like about this store is the layout. The entrance has a nice large waiting area. Once passed that, I found the layout of the store to be very spacious, well presented, and areas easy to locate.
The bike sales person was great. I came in to test ride the EcoRico and there it was. After test riding it it, he answered all the questions I had and my shopping day was completed.
Nice store, friendly sales personnel, and a great selection of products. Sports Basement, what’s not to love?

This place used to be an indoor ice skating rink. It’s actually funny and cute when I think about it (the scoreboard is still there). Now they sell all sorts of sporting goods (they also repair and rent you bikes) and their selection is bigger than in some other places I’ve been to (yes, it can make your decision harder, but it’s a good thing in this case). Despite the place being big, it’s nicely organized by activities and age groups. If unsure ask the staff, they’ll be happy to help.
I came here to buy some crossfit shoes since I didn’t want to just do it online without even knowing what I’m buying. The staff was very knowledgeable and helpful when I had questions about different brands and types. The sitting areas are almost like your own living room. Very homey feel to them. Also take a trip upstairs, if not for buying at least to get a good look at the place.
Why come here? To buy shoes, backpacks, camping gear, skiing/​snowboarding gear,… anything sports related. It’s my first go-​to place for sure. And it’s closer than San Francisco and Walnut Creek (at least for me).
They have street parking and meter parking in front and around of the building. If you don’t want to pay, you can also park a few blocks away from the place or ask the staff to refund you for your parking.

Just when you thought Berkeley couldn’t get any cooler BAM this bad boy drops.
As a disclaimer I would rather go to Sports Basement than Disneyland so I’m going to try to contain my excitement for the sake of writing an objective review.
First, as for the Sports Basement franchise in general, these guys really do a great job. Every location I’ve visited has had a fantastic selection at reasonable prices, with staff who know their stuff and don’t seem to be pushing a sale. They’ve consistently got a great selection of all different types of sports equipment, outdoors gear, regular athletic wear, shoes, etc.
This new location in Berkeley is a really cool space. It was formerly an ice rink, «Iceland», and they’ve re-​stored (pun intended) it into a fantastic store while keeping some cool historical features like the scoreboard and check-​in counter. There’s some (not a ton) of parking available, and they also agree to pay your street parking fare if you bring in your receipt. The main floor is a giant open space (like a hockey rink… duh) and the selection is one of the best I’ve seen. They have a full service bike shop, and now that this location exists I really see no need for anyone to ever visit Mike’s Bikes again. These guys are just as competent at bikes and won’t rip you off. Prices across the board are competitive, and they also promise to match the price of any retailer you find that beats it. Like REI, they’ve got a generous return policy.
Sports Basement bears a lot of similarities to REI, but Sports Basement has a slightly bigger sports selection and REI has more hiking/​camping/​etc stuff. Prices are a bit better at Sports Basement, plus its just such a cool space, I think this will be my new go-​to.

I’ve always been a big fan of Sports Basement because of the big selection, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and pleasant atmosphere, but the new Berkeley location really exceeded my high expectations! I love the spacious layout and the wide selection of sporting goods for people of all ages, sizes and gender. There’s even things for four-​legged friends. There’s just about everything you could need for team sports, camping, hiking, biking, running, climbing, and just looking sweet.
The only downside is that their cleat selection is pretty limited and they have very few women’s cleats. I would normally take one star off for that but maybe if more of us ask for them, they will start stocking more.
I also appreciate how many fundraisers Sports Basement has for the community and how there’s always something on sale.
Welcome to Berkeley! I, for one, am very happy you’re here.

More of a «Sports Barn», or perhaps even more accurately, a «Sports Rink», since it’s the old ice skating area. It has a pretty awesome selection of stuff, and without the nonsense of REI trying to sign you up, and it doesn’t feel so cheap like Sports Authority and the other big chains.
Mainly came here to get a backpack, but might have been nice to walk around some more to and look at the other stuff. None of which I need, of course.

If my reviews for the Presidio and Mission locations in San Francisco are any indication, I am a big fan of Sports Basement. These stores stock a wide array of high quality sporting goods and apparel at «basement» level prices. I often wonder how these guys manage to sell such great stuff at bargain prices and stay in business. Volume?
Sports Basement opened this new store in Berkeley in November 2014. It’s the company’s sixth Bay Area outpost. It took over the building that once belonged to a historic local ice skating rink, Berkeley Iceland. They’ve left the rink’s old clock and scoreboard in place. The store is massive. Imagine a large gymnasium or cavernous warehouse where the wide-​open floor is filled with nothing but tables, racks, and stacks of various sporting merchandise. That’s what Sports Basement Berkeley is like. Stepping inside and seeing the space can be almost overwhelming at first.
Despite its size, the store has a very welcoming, hospitable, neighborhood feel to it. This friendly atmosphere applies to all Sports Basement stores in general. The business is community-​oriented and it shows. At the Berkeley location, there are several large community spaces available to reserve for free! These spaces are very homey with old couches, loveseats, chairs, and coffee tables. Various seating/​rest areas around the store are designed like this too. Email
if you’re interested in reserving a space.
Free classes are available such as yoga and bicycle maintenance. There are also free semi-​monthly group bike rides and weekly group runs. CPR classes are available and cost $ 15 (charity donation) per class. The CPR classes award official two-​year CPR/​AED certification cards.
There are actually two levels to the store. The second level, the mezzanine, wraps its way around the perimeter upstairs much like an elevated running track, but much wider with more space. My coat closet has over a half-​dozen North Face jackets purchased from Sports Basement. My sister and mom have lots of shoes and athletic apparel from here. My sister also purchased some accessories for her GoPro here. The only thing this store lacks is a golf section.
Sports Basement has excellent price matching and refund policies. The store will match any price and even apply discounts on top of matched prices. If you buy something and within three months find it for less elsewhere, the store will issue you a gift card for the difference. Finally, there is no time limit to return items for a full refund (or store credit) as long as you have a receipt.
Restrooms are located at the front of the store. They are large and clean.
If you’re in the Bay Area and are shopping for athletic gear, Sports Basement should be one of your only stops.

Everything you can want in sports is here in one place! Wow. A bit overwhelming. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Brian D. Is extremely helpful and he knowledge was amazing. When I purchase a new bike. I want Brian to help me in my purchase —
Totally recommend Sport Basement !!!

My friend told me about this super awesome sports warehouse, conveniently located in the Berkeley area. Stopped by Sunday morning (free parking on Sundays but permit required usually). The warehouse is huge! I felt so adventurous walking around the store and wanted so many things. The warehouse is well organized, and there are signs to help you find what you need. The place is well-​staffed, and everyone who works here are super chill and know what they’re talking about! The rentals are also super cheap.
If you live in the area they give you a 10% discount! Take advantage of it if you do. I would highly recommend this place. Much better than your average REI or Northface store

Nice new store in an old gym. Great to have one here in Berkeley now. Its a perfect fit in the building and for the community.
The large store carries all of the sports equipment you can find at the other sports basements. Running, skiing, biking, tri, hiking, with summer and winter items in stock. The upper level has camping and more.
Sales help is good. They know their products and they know the sports.
All the products I have ever bought at SB has been top notch. Just in case, their return policy is liberal which is always a bonus.
Yes, there is both street parking but you have to pay. Try to get a spot in the small private lot along the side of the building.
Ok then, go buy stuff, and get out and get fit. Have fun.

YAY! Berkeley has our own Sports Basement!!! No more trekking to the city when I need a little sumpthin sumpthin! This HUGE warehouse used to house the Iceland ice rink and the signs inside are still there. Staff said they plan to leave them :)
They have two levels loaded with lots of stuff for swim/​triathlon (with wetsuit rental program), basketball, soccer, baseball, racquetball, cycling, snow sports and camping gear. There’s also a section for kids.
Lots of helpful staff wandering around to help you find what you are looking for. Plenty of off-​street parking available too :)