Cotopaxi reviews

3.1

44% would recommend to a friend

(136 total reviews)

Lindsay Shumlas

46% approve of CEO

44% positive business outlook

Cotopaxi has an employee rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars, based on 136 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Cotopaxi employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

136 reviews
5.0
Apr 12, 2016

Amazing Place to Learn and Grow

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

1) Amazing TEAM: The Team is full of extremely talented individuals who work together to create an amazing work environment. Not a day goes by that I don't laugh or realize how lucky I am to work with such talented people. 2) The Executive Team: Extremely down to earth and very accessible. Always willing to teach and share their valuable experiences with everyone, even the temporary interns. They also work the booths at conventions, pass out fliers and clean the office kitchen 3) Company Values: The company takes its social mission seriously. They don't use cause marketing to sell more product, but truly believe in doing good. It's very refreshing! 4) The company has a no jerk policy and they live by this rule. It's emphasized repeatedly and they recruit with this in mind 5) They encourage each employee to get out and take their "in-the-wild time" which states you should spend 10% of your workweek in the outdoors or doing good.

Cons

It's a Startup -- that means you'll do your job and some. You'll work weekends, conventions, events, clean the office kitchen, and vacuum the floors

5.0
Apr 11, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I've worked at many outdoor companies around the US. Cotopaxi is by far the most flexible, encouraging, and challenging.

Cons

It's a start-up, which means people have to be self-starters and reliable. Those who need lots of direction may not like it.

1.0
May 7, 2026

Significant decline in leadership and trust

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are still individuals and teams who continue to champion the work and mission but many now operate in survival mode.

Cons

Reader beware: this is no longer the company it once was. What remains is an organization shaped by current leadership that rely on pressure, fear, and control rather than competence, transparency, or trust. The executives visibly practice intimidation and manipulation to drive performance and compliance, rather than collaboration and partnership. There appears to be little to no accountability at the top, and little incentive for these patterns to change. New leaders tend to fall quickly in line, with any commitment to the company’s stated values or genuine regard for their teams fading just as fast. While financial performance may be improving, it often comes at a significant human cost. Employees are expected to do more with less and operate under constant pressure, with cost-cutting frequently taking precedence over the long-term health of the brand. Feedback is nominally encouraged but not acted upon. Communication often leans toward high-level messaging and perception management rather than addressing underlying, substantive concerns. These issues are not abstract: they shape the day-to-day experience. Favoritism, micromanagement, and limited psychological safety are recurring and common concerns, often left unspoken due to fear of retaliation. Do not believe recent reviews that are clearly fabricated or coerced by management or HR.

avatar
Cotopaxi Response
4w
Thank you for taking the time to share this feedback and for recognizing the teams who continue to care deeply about the work and the mission. We hear the concerns you've raised around trust, transparency, and leadership, and we take them seriously. We also want to be clear that the investments we've made in our team including bonus payouts, merit increases, and promotions through our annual review process, as well as the recent rollout of our refreshed mission, vision, and values reflect a genuine commitment to our people, not just our positioning. Staying connected to employee experience is important to us, and we do that through regular feedback surveys and open Q&A at All Hands, because we want what people experience day to day to reflect who we are and where we're headed. We appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective.
Viewing 43 - 45 of 136 Reviews

Glassdoor has 150 Cotopaxi reviews submitted anonymously by Cotopaxi employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Cotopaxi is right for you.