Where is the best place to get sporting goods? Sports is one of those fields (pun intended) where the right equipment can make or break your sporting experience. Whether you're a first-time player, joining a school team, a longtime pro, or just picking up a new-to-you sport for fun, the proper sporting goods are key to having a good time. Sporting goods retailers are popping up all over the place, too, making it easier than ever to find the equipment you need to make your sport a winning experience.
Average
DICK'S Sporting Goods is one of the older sporting goods stores in our review, getting its start in 1948 when Dick Stack worked at an army surplus store. He saw the need for additional merchandise and started DICK'S Sporting Goods as a fishing and tackle business. It switched over to the sporting goods one-stop shop you're familiar with around the 1970s. Currently, DICK'S Sporting Goods has 850+ brick-and-mortar locations around the US, and focuses on golf and youth sports. With a mix of serious sporting gear and apparel, DICK'S Sporting Goods stands out as a competitive one-stop shop.
15+ brands and thousands of sporting goods
There are plenty of brands to pick from at DICK'S Sporting Goods. You'll see fan favorites for sports as well as activewear like Adidas, Birkenstock, Calia, Carhartt, Chubbies, Crocs, DSG, Faherty, Hoka, Jordan, New Balance, Nike, The North Face, Under Armour, Easton, and more. As for sports, you can find sporting goods for baseball, basketball, football, golf, hockey, lacrosse, pickleball, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, cycling, boxing, cheer, cricket, fishing, gymnastics, running, snow sports, swimming, track and field, and water sports. For sport-specific inventory, we found 1,277 items for football, 3,420 items for baseball, and 1,425 items for softball in the inventory, showing a highly competitive selection.
Listings make for easier browsing
We had some difficulties with the browsing experience on DICK'S Sporting Goods. While the overall shopping wasn't too bad, the pages took a while to load when you use the top search bar. We ran into the same lengthy load times on multiple browsers, so it's possible there was a problem on DICK'S Sporting Goods' server end at the time of our review. However, outside of this issue, the site was extremely easy to shop on. The listings, in particular, were extremely helpful. The images were clear, and you can scroll through different color options without leaving the browsing page. The listings will also show which items are available for shipping and which can be picked up at your local DICK'S Sporting Goods for free.
Prices from $6.97 to $890.99 for researched items
For our cost comparison across different sporting goods stores, we looked at the price ranges in three categories. First, we checked out the price range for a popular brand that includes apparel and sports gear (Nike). Second, we looked at a specific brand's popular item: Easton bats (softball and baseball). Third, we looked at an item that's popular and priced out all brands for that item (football helmets). Here's what we found at DICK'S Sporting Goods:
Free returns within 90 days for most items
At the time of our review, DICK'S Sporting Goods offered standard shipping only to the lower 48 states. You can only ship to Alaska and Hawaii if you pay for "expedited" shipping. For orders $65 or more, you can score free standard shipping within the 48 contiguous states. As for the return policy, you have 90 days to return most products. If you bought something from the DICK'S Sporting Goods Warehouse or sale section, you may only have a 30-day return period. All returns with a valid proof of purchase will receive a refund. You can also return your items using an ID that matches the name of the original buyer. DICK'S Sporting Goods will handle the shipping for you, so there is no cost to return.
Customers struggle to find high-quality items
The feedback for DICK'S Sporting Goods is a bit mixed. The sporting goods store holds an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau for 24 recent complaints and 46 complaints that haven't received responses. This is reflected with a similar rating on Trustpilot, where DICK'S Sporting Goods has a 1.8-star average rating out of 5. However, on Google Reviews, DICK'S Sporting Goods has a 4.7-star average rating and is considered a top-quality store. According to the negative feedback, though, customers have had trouble with items being damaged when shipped to their homes. Plus, there are regular complaints about long wait times for a customer service resolution. On the other hand, on Google, customers were extremely impressed with fast delivery and variety. Despite this, there are consistent issues (even in positive reviews) with marks or defects on items.
Competitive only if you want to pick up in-person
While there are plenty of high points to consider (the range of items in the inventory, for example), the lack of customer service at DICK'S Sporting Goods has created some problems for customers in recent years. However, most of the complaints are related to shipping. For this reason, it might be more worth your time to order online for pickup at your preferred DICK'S Sporting Goods (just check the reviews for your local store first). For these reasons, DICK'S Sporting Goods earns a more balanced rating despite the low reviews on Trustpilot. Google reviews even out the reputation a bit, and if you like the convenience of shopping online and getting your items in person, DICK'S Sporting Goods remains a competitive choice.
Continued from above...
Sports is one of those fields (pun intended) where the right equipment can make or break your sporting experience. Whether you're a first-time player, joining a school team, a longtime pro, or just picking up a new-to-you sport for fun, the proper sporting goods are key to having a good time. Sporting goods retailers are popping up all over the place, too, making it easier than ever to find the equipment you need to make your sport a winning experience.
Choosing an online sporting goods store is a great idea if you're looking for a place where you can buy it all. Sports don't just require the big stuff like baseball bats or hockey masks. You'll also need to buy the basics: socks, pants, golf balls, warm-up gear, and more. The best sporting goods stores will be a one-stop shop with everything you need in one place.
Have kids who play different sports? No problem. Need extras like water bottles or workout gear on top of your sport-specific goods? They've got it. Some sporting goods stores have more specialized inventory (which would be great if you're a pro in that particular sport), but for most customers, having a wide variety is going to help you across all your various sports requirements.
The best part? Most sporting goods stores offer impressive deals. Since the sites are mostly online (though there are still a few brick-and-mortar stores if you're someone who likes to try things on), you won't run into overhead costs all the time. Plus, you can browse through clearance and seasonal promotions you won't find elsewhere when you shop at a sporting goods store online. Plus, the top competitors will have solid policies for both shipping and returns, resulting in high customer satisfaction and also great for keeping the total price in your cart down.
Whether you're buying varsity football gear for your student athlete, grabbing some new leotards for a new gymnast, or ordering some new shoes to try out running for the first time (good luck), there's a sporting goods store out there to meet your needs. No matter your budget, you'll be able to find a sporting goods store that ticks all the boxes.
But, with so many options, it can be hard to decide which sporting goods store deserves your business. There are so many things to consider, so we made it simple with a quick list of factors that can help you decide:
You don't need to worry about finding the best sporting goods stores out there: with our detailed research and rankings, Top Consumer Reviews has identified the top sporting goods stores online today. This way, you can get your head in the game and enjoy your sport (or cheer on a loved one who's playing). Let's play ball!
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