Macpac vs Smartwool:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Smartwool had more branded searches than Macpac among merino clothing brands in Australia. Smartwool had about 880 branded searches, while Macpac had 390. Smartwool made up 7.8% of all merino clothing brand searches we track, and Macpac accounted for 3.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about merino clothing brands, Macpac and Smartwool each appeared in two of the five answers. Smartwool was mentioned before Macpac in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Smartwool, about 2 searches for every 1 for Macpac
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Smartwool, named ahead of Macpac in 2 of 3 answers
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Top merino clothing brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Macpac was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Smartwool was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Smartwool was listed before Macpac in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Icebreaker4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Smartwool2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Merino Country2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Kathmandu2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Macpac2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Mons Royale1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Unbound Merino0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Le Bent0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Norsewear0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Untouched World0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about merino clothing brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which merino clothing brand should I buy in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best merino base layers for hiking?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best merino thermals for winter?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“merino thermals”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“merino base layer”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Macpac or Smartwool more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Macpac and Smartwool by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 merino clothing brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Smartwool, Macpac. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Mons Royale | Icebreaker | Unbound Merino | Le Bent | Norsewear | Smartwool | Merino Country | Untouched World | Kathmandu | Macpac | Noble Wilde | Wool&Prince |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 21.8% | 17.7% | 12% | 6.5% | 1.2% | 13.6% | 9.8% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1.9% | 1.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 24.4% | 16% | 13.5% | 10.9% | 0.93% | 13.5% | 6.1% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 24.6% | 16.4% | 13.3% | 10.3% | 0.92% | 13.3% | 7.4% | 4% | 3.3% | 4% | 1.4% | 0.92% |
| Jan 2026 | 20.3% | 17.1% | 17.1% | 7.7% | 0.75% | 13.9% | 7.7% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 24.7% | 16.9% | 13% | 7.7% | 0.91% | 11.4% | 7.7% | 6.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 1.8% | 1.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 30.6% | 16.9% | 10.6% | 4.1% | 0.95% | 10.6% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 29% | 19.3% | 8.1% | 3.9% | 1.4% | 10.5% | 8.1% | 5.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 25.3% | 20.4% | 9.1% | 5.1% | 1.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 0.77% |
| Jun 2026 | 25.9% | 21.2% | 9.4% | 5.2% | 1.2% | 9.4% | 7.6% | 5.2% | 5.9% | 5.2% | 2.8% | 1% |
| Jul 2026 | 23.2% | 23.2% | 10.3% | 5.7% | 1.4% | 10.3% | 6.5% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 0.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 25.3% | 20.4% | 11.2% | 7% | 1.2% | 9.1% | 7% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 1.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 25.8% | 16.9% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 7.8% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1.5% | 0.98% |
Macpac sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “macpac merino”.
How has the Macpac and Smartwool comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Smartwool was ahead of Macpac in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Macpac’s share of searches among merino clothing brands in Australia moved from 4.4% to 3.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 320 to 390.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Smartwool’s share of searches among merino clothing brands in Australia moved from 13.6% to 7.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1K to 880.
How did search popularity change for Australia merino clothing brands in September 2026?
4 changes
In September 2026, Le Bent overtook Smartwool to rank 4th among merino clothing brands in Australia, with 7.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Norsewear overtook Smartwool and 5 others to rank 5th among merino clothing brands in Australia, with 7.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Smartwool lost share of searches among merino clothing brands in Australia, from 9.1% to 7.8%.
In September 2026, Macpac lost share of searches among merino clothing brands in Australia, from 4.1% to 3.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Macpac’s and Smartwool’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among merino clothing brands
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