Step One vs Uniqlo:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Step One had more branded searches than Uniqlo among men's underwear brands worldwide. Step One had about 92,100 branded searches, while Uniqlo had 24,200. Step One made up 8.7% of all men's underwear brand searches we track, and Uniqlo accounted for 2.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about men's underwear brands, Uniqlo appeared in four of the five answers and Step One in none.
Who do people search for more?
Step One, about 4 searches for every 1 for Uniqlo
Who does AI mention more?
Uniqlo, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Step One in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Uniqlo, the only one of the two named
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Top men's underwear brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Uniqlo was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Step One did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Calvin Klein1st
Tommy John2nd- Uniqlo3rd
Mack Weldon4th
SAXX5th
Jockey–- Step One–
Bonds–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Calvin Klein4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Tommy John4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Uniqlo4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Mack Weldon2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- SAXX1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Jockey0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Step One0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Bonds0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about men's underwear brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which men's underwear brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best men's underwear brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best men's underwear brand for everyday wear?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best men's underwear”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“mens boxer briefs”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Step One or Uniqlo more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Step One and Uniqlo by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight men's underwear brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Step One, Uniqlo. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Calvin Klein | Jockey | Step One | SAXX | Tommy John | Mack Weldon | Uniqlo | Bonds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 42.8% | 20.9% | 9.2% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 4.2% | 1.7% | 2.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 46.2% | 13.4% | 12.8% | 9% | 11% | 4.9% | 1.3% | 1.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 51.4% | 14.8% | 8% | 10% | 8.1% | 4.5% | 1.6% | 1.6% |
| Jan 2026 | 43.6% | 21.3% | 8.9% | 11.7% | 6.4% | 4.3% | 2% | 1.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 47% | 18.9% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 1.9% | 1.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 56.5% | 17.2% | 7.6% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 2.8% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 47.8% | 20.1% | 8.9% | 9% | 7.4% | 3.3% | 2% | 1.5% |
| May 2026 | 53.1% | 19.8% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 2.7% | 1.6% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 54.4% | 20.3% | 7.3% | 7.5% | 5% | 2.7% | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 50.8% | 21.4% | 7.7% | 7.9% | 6.4% | 2.4% | 2.1% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.6% | 13.3% | 5.9% | 4.9% | 36.3% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 0.98% |
| Sep 2026 | 45.3% | 23.3% | 8.7% | 8.6% | 7% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 1.7% |
How has the Step One and Uniqlo comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Step One was ahead of Uniqlo in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Step One’s share of searches among men's underwear brands worldwide moved from 9.2% to 8.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 88.8K to 92.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Uniqlo’s share of searches among men's underwear brands worldwide moved from 1.7% to 2.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 16.5K to 24.2K.
How did search popularity change for men's underwear brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Step One overtook Tommy John to rank 3rd among men's underwear brands worldwide, with 8.7% of the searches.
In September 2026, Uniqlo gained share of searches among men's underwear brands worldwide, from 1.3% to 2.3%.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Step One’s and Uniqlo’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.
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