REI Co-op Editors' Choice Awards honor top products helping people get outdoors

New accolade recognizes co-op community favorites

News provided by

Oct 06, 2020, 14:05 ET

SEATTLE, Oct. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- REI introduces the REI Co-op Editors' Choice Awards, a designation honoring gear and apparel from brands sold at the co-op that represent REI employee and customer favorites—based on field testing, REI expertise and co-op member and customer feedback. Products recognized meet various parameters such as being best-in-class in a category, bringing innovation to the outdoor community, or for being time-honored equipment the co-op has recommended for years.

REI Co-op Editors' Choice Awards are developed by REI's in-house editorial team who also creates the co-op community's rich content sites including Co-op Journal, Uncommon Path and Expert Advice, to help educate and inspire REI's growing co-op community.

"For more than 80 years people have turned to the co-op to find great gear for their outdoor adventures," says Michelle Flandreau, senior editor at REI. "Through this new editorial awards program grounded in rigorous field tests with our members and staff, we're establishing yet another way for our community to discover and learn about best-in-class gear and apparel."

The inaugural set of REI Co-op Editors' Choice Awards recipients are:

AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV Tent (UL1, UL2, UL3 and UL4)
Black Diamond Spot 350 Headlamp
Osprey Poco Plus Child Carrier
Kelty Cosmic Down 20 Sleeping Bag – women's and men's
Petzl Actik Core Headlamp
REI Co-op Kingdom 6 Tent
Salomon Sense Ride 3 Trail-Running Shoes – women's and men's

Products recognized are top performers in a head-to-head round-robin test and include both longtime standouts and the latest innovations to hit shelves at REI. Product reviews on REI.com and customer feedback, along with sustainability attributes, based on REI product sustainability standards, are also considered in the process. Testers include REI employees and co-op members from across the nation, who evaluate everything from a product's usability to its features in a variety of climates, terrain, and weather. They report back on their experiences with qualitative and quantitative data collected along the way.

Some tests can last months, or even up to a year depending on the category, to see how the products perform, through various seasons and scenarios. Scores and data are added up and discussed by the editorial team. The top-scoring gear goes into Gear Guides on Expert Advice, REI's the co-op's gear and expertise learning library. The best-of-the best will also receive the REI Co-op Editors' Choice Award.

Products considered must be sold at the co-op. There is no set timing or number of recipients that may receive this accolade. Products are continually tested and can be recognized with an REI Co-op Editors' Choice Award designation anytime through the year.

About the REI Co-op

REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation's largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of more than 19 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 167 locations in 39 states and the District of Columbia. If you can't visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI Outlet or the REI shopping app. REI isn't just about gear. Adventurers can take the trip of a lifetime with REI's active adventure travel company, a global leader that runs more than 250 itineraries across all continents. In every community where REI has a presence, professionally trained instructors share their expertise by hosting beginner-to advanced-level classes and workshops about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to—and steward—the outdoor places that inspire us all.

SOURCE REI