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About Academy.com
I love big-name sportswear brands as much as the next person, but what I don’t love are their price tags. Academy.com makes it so we can all have high-quality fitness and outdoor apparel, gear, and equipment affordably.
Their selection includes names like Nike, Carharrt, Yeti, and NordicTrack and they’re one of the US’s largest sporting goods and outdoor stores with 286 locations. To make things even more convenient, they offer their selection on Academy.com as well.
Based in Katy, Texas, Academy Sports & Outdoor was established in 1938 and has a long history of delivering affordable goods to people who just want to get outside.
Ready to get moving? From best-sellers and feedback to promotions and FAQ, there’s a ton to unpack in this Academy.com review. Let’s start with the pros and cons.
Why You Should Trust Us
Our mission is to help you make better, more informed purchase decisions.
Our team spends hours researching, consulting with medical experts, gathering insight from expert professionals, reviewing customer feedback, and analyzing products to provide you with the information you need.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Wide Range of Products: Academy.com offers a broad selection of sporting goods, outdoor equipment, apparel, and related products. This variety allows customers to find items suitable for their specific needs and interests.
- Competitive Pricing: Online retailers often offer competitive pricing due to reduced overhead costs compared to physical stores. Academy.com offers competitive prices, occasional sales, and discounts, providing potential cost savings for customers.
- Convenience: Shopping on Academy.com offers the convenience of browsing and purchasing products from the comfort of your own home. It eliminates the need to travel to a physical store, saving time and effort.
- Customer Reviews: Online platforms usually provide customer reviews and ratings for products. These reviews can help inform purchase decisions by providing insights into the quality, performance, and customer satisfaction of the items.
- Shipping and Delivery Options: Academy.com offers shipping and delivery services, allowing customers to have their purchases delivered to their doorstep. Depending on the location and order value, they may have options for free or expedited shipping.
Cons
- Shipping Costs: While Academy.com may offer shipping services, there can be associated costs, especially for expedited or bulky item deliveries. Shipping expenses can add to the overall purchase cost, especially for customers located far from distribution centers.
- Limited Personal Interaction: Shopping in physical stores allows customers to interact with sales staff for inquiries, advice, or assistance. Online shopping lacks this personal interaction, although Academy.com likely provides customer support channels for addressing queries or concerns.
What Does Academy.com Offer?
Academy Sports + Outdoors offers a wide range of products related to sports, outdoor activities, and fitness. Here are some of the categories of items you might find on Academy.com:
- Sports Equipment: Academy.com provides a variety of sports equipment for various sports such as football, basketball, baseball, soccer, golf, tennis, and more. This include items like balls, bats, gloves, protective gear, and training equipment.
- Outdoor Gear: Academy.com sells outdoor gear and equipment for activities like camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, boating, and cycling. This could include tents, sleeping bags, fishing rods, hunting gear, kayaks, bikes, and other outdoor accessories.
- Apparel and Footwear: The website features a wide selection of sportswear, activewear, and footwear for men, women, and children. This includes clothing items like shirts, pants, jackets, shorts, swimwear, as well as footwear such as athletic shoes, hiking boots, sandals, and more.
- Fitness and Exercise Equipment: Academy.com carries a range of fitness and exercise equipment for home or gym use. This includes treadmills, elliptical trainers, weights, resistance bands, yoga mats, fitness accessories, and other exercise equipment.
- Hunting and Shooting Supplies: Academy.com has a selection of hunting gear, firearms, ammunition, gun accessories, scopes, and hunting clothing for outdoor enthusiasts.
- Fan Gear: On Academy.com, you can find a range of merchandise and fan gear for sports teams, including apparel, hats, jerseys, and accessories representing various professional and college teams.
- Outdoor Clothing and Accessories: The brand features outdoor clothing and accessories designed for outdoor activities, such as jackets, rain gear, hats, sunglasses, backpacks, and camping accessories.
- Fitness and Sports Accessories: Academy.com has a variety of accessories to support fitness and sports activities, including fitness trackers, sports watches, water bottles, gym bags, training aids, and more.
4 Academy.com Bestsellers
Academy.com has an impressive selection of top brands like Nike, Crocs, and Under Armour, offering apparel and footwear for kids, men, and women.
Here’s where they set themselves apart from competitors though: they also offer fitness equipment for excellent prices. I’ll tell you more about their best-sellers next in this Academy.com review.
Academy.com Nordictrack Studio Bike
Fighting for a cardio machine at the gym is fun and all, but have you ever worked out in the peace and comfort of your own home? Problem is, fitness equipment doesn’t come cheap, unless you shop at Academy.com, that is.
The Nordictrack Studio Bike comes with all of the accouterments it normally does when you buy it directly from NordicTrack, including a 30-day iFIT family membership, 2x3lb dumbbells, and a 7” full-color touch display.
With 22 resistant levels and an inertia-enhanced flywheel with SMR™ silent magnetic resistance, your music won’t be competing for a chance to be heard.
Equipped with an auxiliary music port, two digitally amplified speakers, and dual water bottle holders, you can go longer and harder without ever getting off the seat (unless you’re tackling inclines!).
Super easy to control, the Studio Bike can handle weight up to 300 pounds and comes with a 3-year warranty.
Experience fitness differently with the NordicTrack Studio Bike for $500 (normally $600).
What customers say: “For the price point, no other bike compares.” – James, Google.com
Academy.com Nike Women’s Therma Training Pullover Hoodie
Whether you’re running to class or warming up on the track, the Nike Women’s Therma Training Pullover Hoodie won’t let you down. It’s specially made to keep you warm, and with Dri-FIT technology, wicks away sweat so you stay dry.
Made from polyester and a touch of spandex, it’s got enough stretch when it matters. Enjoy a hood and front pocket for chilly walks to the corner store and flattering details like ribbed cuffs and hems. Get yours in sizes XS-XL in one of 11 fun colors for $45 (on sale from $60).
What customers say: “Soft and comfortable. Bought this for my daughter and she will wear it year round. It was one of the first things she packed to go to college. We put it in the washer and dryer and it came out perfect.” – WarEagle, Academy.com
Academy.com Under Armour Men’s Charged Vantage 2 Running Shoes
Your run is only as good as the shoes you wear while on it. The Under Armour Men’s Charged Vantage 2 Running Shoes have anatomically placed flex grooves to give you a more natural stride.
With stretch mesh uppers, they keep your feet cool and comfortable while on the road, and thanks to Charged Cushioning® midsoles, they absorb some of the shock and increase propulsion when jogging on hard surfaces. I love their removable foam sock liners that make cleaning easy too.
Get a pair in sizes 7-15 in one of 6 colors for $37 (normally $80!).
What customers say: “Excellent fit, well cushioned, color and design preferable. Pricing reasonable.” – Tony, Academy.com
Academy.com BCG Boys’ Dazzle Shorts 6-in
On the court or on the couch, the BCG Boys’ Dazzle Shorts 6-in are the comfortable hero your kid will love. They have an elastic drawstring waistband so they stay secure, as well as moisture wicking technology to keep them fresh and dry.
Made from 100% polyester double weave jacquard knit fabric, the shorts are lightweight and even have some recycled components. Grab a pair in sizes XXS-XL for just $8.
What customers say: “The shorts fit perfectly and was exactly what we needed. I don’t think we would’ve found anything that was affordable with the right fit. I will be purchasing again.” – Bdub, Academy.com
Who Is Academy.com For?
Academy.com offers sports apparel for men, women, and kids, as well as popular fitness equipment and gear. Their online store is a great place to shop if you love top brands but want to pay less.
Academy.com Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
Since no Academy.com review would be complete without feedback, you’ll find an entire section of it here. Let’s start with some ratings from the brand’s site:
- BCG Boys’ Dazzle Shorts 6-in: 4.7/5 stars, 43 reviews
- Under Armour Men’s Charged Vantage 2 Running Shoes: 3.9/5 stars, 18 reviews
- Nike Women’s Therma Training Pullover Hoodie: 4.7/5 stars, 58 reviews
Of the Nike Women’s Therma Training Pullover Hoodie, one Academy.com review read: Nike hoodie comfortable and great color my daughter wears it everyday. It’s her most favorite hoodie.”
Others say it’s very comfortable and of great quality, but it’s Nike…so that’s to be expected.
On Influenster.com, Academy Sports & Outdoor has an average of 4.6/5 stars based on 1,942 ratings. “We don’t have and academy store near where I live but I have ordered from them many times. Great selection and prices are good. Quick shipping as well,” wrote one shopper in their Academy.com review.
Another said, “What can I say? I spend way too much money here lol. They have all my clothing, shoes, and outdoor essentials! I go here about once a month.” When you love high-quality sports apparel and fitness gear but want it for less, Academy.com looks to be a great place to find it.
Folks that reviewed the brand on Consumer Affairs said something similar, with 366 shoppers awarding them a 3.9/5 star average. One wrote:
“Academy Sports is unmatchable. I am obsessed with them to where I even shop online for running gear during this whole pandemic. I love the pricing points. They’re so much cheaper than Dick’s Sporting Goods. Plus, you’re buying the same clothing just not as expensive. They also have a great variety of shoes as well.”
While not everyone who shopped with Academy had the same stellar experience, it’s clear that many do. Are they really legit? See the next section of this Academy.com review to find out.
Is Academy.com Legit?
Academy.com is a 100% legit store, though I made sure to check in with the Better Business Bureau. While they have a 100% response rate (great sign), they have an overall C score from the BBB (ok sign), and a current warning (not so great sign).
The BBB tells us that in some Academy.com reviews customers allege that the brand does not honor their return policy while others say they received items that weren’t brand new.
Is Academy.com Worth It?
While writing this Academy.com review, a few things became very apparent to me: this brand is more affordable than its competitors, they have fast shipping, and they have a great selection.
Also true but less appealing: they may ship out items with signs of wear and they may not honor their returns policy.
It appears that folks that shop in Academy’s physical stores enjoy the experience more, but they may miss out on the extra deals available when shopping online.
Based on the prices this brand offers and their selection, the reward looks to be greater than the risk, but that’s up to you to decide.
How To Choose The Best Product on Academy.Com
Academy.com offers men’s, women’s, and kids’ apparel, as well as sports gear and fitness equipment. So how do you leave with exactly the right product? I’ve got it down to a science:
- Who are you shopping for?: Academy.com offers apparel and gear for kids, women, and men.
- Think about your activities: What kind of sports do you do? Do you do sports at all? Academy.com makes it easy to find what you’re looking for by dividing their products into categories.
- Consider your budget: Academy.com has some of the best prices for sports gear on the market, but some brands cost less than others. Set your budget and set your filters, you can view items from lowest to highest in price so you’ll always know if you’re getting the lowest one available.
Academy.com Promotions & Discounts
If there’s one thing I learned while writing this Academy.com review, it’s that this brand is all about the deals. At any point in the year, they have no shortage of promotions. Here’s what’s available now:
- Hot Deals & Clearance sections with savings of up to 50%
- Nab a 10% off Academy.com promo code when signing up for the mailing list
- Get an Academy Credit Card to save 5% & get free shipping on orders over $15 — you’ll also get $15 off your first purchase
Where To Buy Academy.com
It’s all in the name with Academy.com, simply type that URL in the search bar to start shopping. If you’d prefer to shop in person, Academy has multiple locations across the US. Use the store locator to find one near you.
FAQ
Who owns Academy.com?
Academy Sports + Outdoors was founded in 1938 by Arthur Gochman. The brand was acquired by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in 2011.
Who is Academy.com’s competitors?
Any sporting goods store could be considered one of Academy.com’s competitors, but after considering their product section, I’d say their top two are Bass Pro and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Sierra also has a great selection of affordable outdoor apparel and gear, however, they do not offer fitness equipment.
How do I pay my Academy.com credit card bill?
There are four different ways to pay your Academy.com credit card bill:
- At an Academy Sports + Outdoor center
- By Mail
- Online
- By Phone
Where does Academy.com ship to?
They ship within the contiguous US, but not to California. That means they do not ship to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or US Territories. See the next section of this Academy.com review for more shipping information.
What is Academy.com’s Shipping Policy?
Academy.com offers free shipping when you sign in to your account or when you spend $15+ on your Academy credit card. You’ll find the details on their shipping options below:
- Standard: 3-5 business days
- 2-Day Express: 2 business days
- PO Boxes: 3-10 business days (some items cannot be shipped to these addresses)
- Military APO/FPO addresses: 4-6 weeks (items over 70lbs cannot be shipped to these addresses)
What is Academy.com’s Returns Policy?
Need to return something? Academy.com offers a 60-day return policy. Here’s everything you should know about it:
- Academy.com will give you a full refund if you have the original purchase receipt
- If you do not have a receipt, Academy will try to verify your purchase and if they can, will give you a full refund. If they can’t they will give you a credit.
- All items must be in new, unused, unwashed condition
To return your items, go to an Academy store and present your packing slip.
You can also return your order by mail by sending your items to Academy Returns Center, 1549 Primewest Parkway, Katy, TX 77449. You’ll need to fill in the packing slip included in your order and put it in the return box.
How To Contact Academy.com
If you need any other information that wasn’t included in this Academy.com review call 1-888-922-2336, email [email protected], or use the chat feature at Academy.com.
Next, check out these other fitness brands you may enjoy:
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