NRS vs Stearns:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Stearns had more branded searches than NRS among life jackets worldwide. Stearns had about 18,100 branded searches, while NRS had 3,600. Stearns made up 50.1% of all life jacket searches we track, and NRS accounted for 10%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about life jackets, NRS appeared in two of the five answers and Stearns in one.
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Top life jackets in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, NRS was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Stearns was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews.
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.
Onyx3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Stohlquist3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Mustang2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
NRS2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Astral2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Stearns1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Crewsaver0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Baltic0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about life jackets
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which life jacket brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best life jacket brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best life jacket brand for boating safety?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“life jackets”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“adult life jacket”
- 1NRS
- 1
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is NRS or Stearns more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for NRS and Stearns by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight life jackets we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Stearns, NRS. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Stearns | Mustang | NRS | Onyx | Astral | Crewsaver | Stohlquist | Baltic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 38.5% | 22.7% | 9.3% | 11.6% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 2.8% | 0.27% |
| Nov 2025 | 32.5% | 32.3% | 7.6% | 10.7% | 7.6% | 6.4% | 2.4% | 0.44% |
| Dec 2025 | 37.9% | 28.1% | 7.3% | 12.6% | 6.1% | 5% | 2.8% | 0.34% |
| Jan 2026 | 49.6% | 19.6% | 6.4% | 11% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 2.4% | 0.23% |
| Feb 2026 | 51.9% | 15.9% | 5.4% | 14.4% | 5.4% | 4.6% | 2.1% | 0.26% |
| Mar 2026 | 46.2% | 17.9% | 9.2% | 11.7% | 7.4% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 0.23% |
| Apr 2026 | 39.9% | 12.7% | 6.5% | 29.1% | 6.5% | 3.4% | 1.8% | 0.2% |
| May 2026 | 29.5% | 15.9% | 10.8% | 26.4% | 10.8% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 0.28% |
| Jun 2026 | 23.9% | 19.1% | 19.5% | 15.6% | 13% | 4.6% | 3.9% | 0.34% |
| Jul 2026 | 24.2% | 18.6% | 16.1% | 16% | 16.1% | 4.6% | 3.9% | 0.41% |
| Aug 2026 | 37% | 16.9% | 13.5% | 13.9% | 11% | 4.8% | 2.5% | 0.35% |
| Sep 2026 | 50.1% | 15.3% | 10% | 9.9% | 8% | 4.4% | 2% | 0.25% |
How has the NRS and Stearns comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Stearns was ahead of NRS in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NRS’s share of searches among life jackets worldwide moved from 9.3% to 10%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.4K to 3.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Stearns’ share of searches among life jackets worldwide moved from 38.5% to 50.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.9K to 18.1K.
How did search popularity change for life jackets worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Stearns gained share of searches among life jackets worldwide, from 37% to 50.1%.
In September 2026, NRS lost share of searches among life jackets worldwide, from 13.5% to 10%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using NRS’s and Stearns’ 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 life jackets
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