Imagine buying quality brands (like The North Face, Patagonia, Helly Hansen, and Mountain Hardware) for up to 75% off regular prices. Well, Steep & Cheap makes that totally possible. What’s the catch? No catch.
On SteepAndCheap.com, you’ll find limited-time, limited-quantity deals on real gear from popular brands. Most items are discounted 50% – 60%, but you’ll find some items and deals for up to 80% (and sometimes 90%) off. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast or just a fan of high-quality gear, you won’t find deals better than these. And if you do, Steep & Cheap will probably price match them (but more on that later).
I dove into all the details and dished out everything you need to save big and score the best Steep & Cheap deals every time you shop. Here’s what you need to know:
1. Steep & Cheap is packed with past-season, overstocked gear at big discounts.
Steep & Cheap is owned by Backcountry, one of the biggest outdoor gear retailers online. The site is basically Backcountry’s version of an online outlet store. But instead of selling lower quality “made-for-outlet” items, Steep & Cheap has real items from leading outdoor brands — and everything’s at a discount.
Is Steep & Cheap legit?
Yes, Steep & Cheap is legit, and no, the deals aren’t too good to be true! Steep & Cheap is owned by the online retailer Backcountry, which is based in Park City, Utah, but has headquarters in Portland, Oregon; Costa Rica; and Germany as well.
Again — everything on Steep & Cheap is overstocked inventory from real outdoor brands, like Patagonia and The North Face.
What is Backcountry.com?
Backcountry.com is an online-only site that sells quality outdoor gear for a variety of sports and activities. The company owns several other sports-focused sites, including Competitive Cyclist, MotoSport, Steep & Cheap, and Bergfreunde.de (Europe).
2. Stop by Steep & Cheap’s “Top Brand Steals” to save 50% – 60%.
Steep & Cheap always has at least four offers rolled up in their Top Brand Steals. You’ll usually find 50% – 60% off the most popular brands on the site. The deals are only there for three to four days before new ones drop in, so if you don’t love the Top Brand Steals right now, just wait a few days.
You can expect to see Top Brand Steals like these:
- Patagonia, The North Face, Helly Hansen, and Mountain Hardwear: Up to 50% off
- The North Face Women’s Winter Warm Tight: $31 sale price (reg. $88.95)
- Outdoor Research, Mammut, and Marmot: Up to 50% off
- Women’s Bridgehaven Anorak: $52.50 sale price (reg. $149.99)
- Dakine, Evoc, and more: Up to 50% off
- Stoic, Backcountry, and more: Up to 60% off
Related: Find out even more ways to get The North Face gear for cheap.
3. Act fast to snag the “Current Steal” — you only have five minutes before it’s gone!
Steep & Cheap’s Current Steal disappears before you can grab your credit card, so you’ll have to be prepared ahead of time. When I first looked, the Current Steal I saw was for 75% off a 12-pack of Hero Men’s Underwear. When I checked back five minutes later, the new Current Steal was an Orvis men’s hoodie for 50% off.
These are some of the Current Steals I saw in just a 3-hour period:
- 90 Degrees Women’s Power Flex High-Waist Legging, $17.60 sale price (reg. $88)
- Stoic Women’s Insulated Jacket, $29.99 sale price (reg. $119.95)
- Backcountry Men’s Short-Sleeve Agave Button-Down Shirt, $20.40 sale price (reg. $68)
- da-sh Women’s Woven Short, $12.60 sale price (reg. $40)
- Body Glove Women’s Solid Cross Straps Sports Bra, $16.80 sale price (reg. $48)
- Stoic Men’s Midweight 1/4-Zip Baselayer Top, $19.98 sale price (reg. $49.95)
4. Look for promo codes and special offers like “Spend $200, Save $40.”
Any time you visit SteepAndCheap.com, your chances of finding a promo are pretty good. Basically, there’s some sort of special offer running all the time. The most common offer I’ve seen is “Spend $200, Save $40” with a promo code (which changes every time). You’ll see a new promo featured about once or twice a month.
These are some of the Steep & Cheap promos from 2022:
- Epic Brands up to 50% off
- Extra 20% off Select Winter Styles (use promo code STEEP20WINTER)
- 48-Hour Flash Sale: up to 70% off
- Extra 30% off Exclusive Brands (use promo code 30SPRING)
5. Shop the Steep & Cheap Bargain Bins for 60% off or more.
If 30% – 40% off just doesn’t cut it for you, stop by the Bargain Bins for up to 60% off or more. This includes everything on the site that’s at least 60% off, like tees, tanks, leggings, jackets, running shoes, beanies — you name it.
You can even filter your search by price, size, and brand to see discounted items most suited for you. I found a 3-pack of Stoic Hiking Socks for $4.99 and a Backcountry Beanie for just $7.25. Both were 75% off the regular price.
On top of the 60% or more discount section, you’ll find Bike gear and apparel under $100 and women’s and men’s shirts under $25 in the Bargain Bins.
6. Does Steep & Cheap price match competitors? You betcha!
Just when you thought these discounts couldn’t get better, there’s something else to sweeten the deal. Steep & Cheap price matches identical items (same size, color, model) in new condition. However, they’ll only match prices on U.S.-based, non-auction retailer websites, so they won’t match prices on sites like eBay.
You’ll have to act fast for a price match — once you place your order, you only have 48 hours to contact Customer Service and request the price difference. But you can ask for a price match before your purchase, too. So be sure to check other sites for a lower price before you place your order.
RELATED: Want more info on price matching? Check out our full list of retailers that price match competitors.
7. Sign up for price alerts to get notified when the stuff you love goes on sale.
The first thing you should do is create a Steep & Cheap account. It’s free, and it only takes a couple of seconds. When you find something you love but the discount isn’t that great, just click “Add to Price Alerts” from the item’s product page. All your price alerts are saved to your account, and you’ll get an email when any of those items drop in price.
You’ll also get price alerts when items in your cart get a lower price. So you could always add the stuff you love to your cart and wait for a price drop, and then quickly check out and seal the deal when you get the alert!
8. When you browse items, sort your search by “Percent Off” to see the best deals first.
Only a few retailers have this built into their online shopping pages, and lucky for you, Steep & Cheap is one of them. Any time you browse items, whether it’s Women’s Running Shoes or Men’s Hoodies (or whatever), you can sort the results by Percent Off. This’ll show you items with the highest discounts first instead of showing you featured items or new arrivals at the top of the page.
When I first browsed the bargain bin, the results at the top of the page were a mix of items for 60% – 65% off. But when I sorted the page by “Percent Off,” I found leggings and tees for 90% off (yes 90% OFF) regular prices.
9. Steep & Cheap doesn’t offer free shipping unless there’s a promo.
One of the only drawbacks to snagging Steep & Cheap deals is having to pay for shipping. Unfortunately, they don’t have an ongoing free shipping offer. Once in a while, they’ll run a promo like “Free Shipping over $50,” but you’ll still have to meet the $50 purchase threshold to qualify.
Shipping costs are based on your cart total, but the maximum you’ll pay for shipping is $10.95. Here’s how the shipping costs break down:
- Under $50 Orders: $5.95 Shipping Fee
- $51 – $99 Orders: $7.95 Shipping Fee
- $100+ Orders: $10.95 Shipping Fee
Related: Want to avoid shipping fees every time you shop online? Check out our full list of stores that offer free shipping.
10. Subscribe to Steep & Cheap emails for sweepstakes entries and early access to sales.
Steep & Cheap runs year-long sweepstakes for email subscribers. You don’t have to make a purchase to participate, either. All you have to do is sign up for emails and you’ll get entered to win a $200 gift card.
Email subscribers also get early access to the best deals, so all in all, giving up your email address is a no-brainer.
11. Backcountry will price match Steep & Cheap items.
Sometimes, Backcountry.com has the exact same items as Steep & Cheap at the exact same time. But the item will likely cost more than it does on Steep & Cheap. The good news? Backcountry will price match identical items on SteepAndCheap.com. The bad news? They’ll charge you for shipping since Steep & Cheap doesn’t offer it for free.
Asking for a Backcountry price match will benefit you most if you have a Backcountry gift card or if you’re a new customer (Backcountry offers 15% off your first order when you subscribe to their emails).
12. You have 30 days to return unused gear, but you’ll pay a $6.99 return shipping fee.
You’d think the Steep & Cheap Return Policy would be stricter with all the deep discounts they offer every day. But you actually have 30 days to return unused gear from SteepAndCheap.com. You won’t be able to return any used gear.
If your end goal is a full refund, you have to return your items in their original packaging with all tags attached. Also, return shipping isn’t free. And since they’re an online-only retailer, store returns aren’t an option.
You’ll have to pay a flat rate of $6.99 to return your items by mail. They’ll deduct the return shipping fee from your refund total once they receive your return.
Tell us what you think