Darn Tough vs Smartwool:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Smartwool had more branded searches than Darn Tough among merino wool sock brands worldwide. Smartwool had about 90,500 branded searches, while Darn Tough had 49,500. Smartwool made up 9.3% of all merino wool sock brand searches we track, and Darn Tough accounted for 5.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about merino wool sock brands, both Darn Tough and Smartwool appeared in all five answers. Darn Tough was mentioned before Smartwool in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Smartwool, about 83% more searches than Darn Tough
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Darn Tough, named ahead of Smartwool in every answer
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Top merino wool sock brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Darn Tough and Smartwool showed up in all five answers. Darn Tough was listed before Smartwool in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Darn Tough1st
- Smartwool2nd
Icebreaker3rd
Wigwam4th
Bombas–
First Lite–
Feetures–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Smartwool5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Darn Tough5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Icebreaker3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Wigwam1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Bombas0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- First Lite0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Feetures0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about merino wool sock brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which merino wool sock brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best merino wool sock brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best merino wool sock brand for all day comfort?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“merino wool socks”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best merino socks”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Darn Tough or Smartwool more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Darn Tough and Smartwool by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven merino wool sock brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Smartwool, Darn Tough. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Bombas | First Lite | Smartwool | Darn Tough | Feetures | Icebreaker | Wigwam |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 67.1% | 11% | 11% | 4% | 4% | 1.8% | 0.99% |
| Nov 2025 | 63.6% | 10.5% | 12.8% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 1.7% | 0.94% |
| Dec 2025 | 65.2% | 5.9% | 16.1% | 5.9% | 4% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 65.1% | 4.8% | 15.9% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 1.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 68.7% | 5.1% | 13.8% | 5.1% | 4.1% | 2.3% | 1% |
| Mar 2026 | 76.3% | 3.8% | 8.4% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 1.7% | 0.75% |
| Apr 2026 | 73% | 4.4% | 8% | 5.4% | 6.6% | 2% | 0.72% |
| May 2026 | 72.3% | 5.3% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 6.5% | 1.9% | 0.71% |
| Jun 2026 | 73% | 4.4% | 8% | 5.4% | 6.6% | 2% | 0.72% |
| Jul 2026 | 72.4% | 5.3% | 8% | 5.3% | 6.5% | 1.9% | 0.58% |
| Aug 2026 | 66.8% | 10.9% | 9% | 4.9% | 6% | 1.8% | 0.65% |
| Sep 2026 | 68.8% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 1.9% | 0.68% |
How has the Darn Tough and Smartwool comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Smartwool was ahead of Darn Tough in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Darn Tough’s share of searches among merino wool sock brands worldwide moved from 4% to 5.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 49.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Smartwool’s share of searches among merino wool sock brands worldwide moved from 11% to 9.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 90.5K.
How did search popularity change for merino wool sock brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Darn Tough rose from 5th to 4th among merino wool sock brands worldwide.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Smartwool worldwide fell 33% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 90.5K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Darn Tough’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.
Darn Tough
1 branded search term
- darn tough
Smartwool
1 branded search term
- smartwool
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