Brandwave

Helly Hansen vs Rab:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Helly Hansen had more branded searches than Rab among outdoor clothing brands worldwide. Helly Hansen had about 550,000 branded searches, while Rab had 368,000. Helly Hansen made up 5% of all outdoor clothing brand searches we track, and Rab accounted for 3.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about outdoor clothing brands, Helly Hansen and Rab each appeared in three of the five answers. Helly Hansen and Rab were each mentioned first in two of the four answers that named either.

Among outdoor clothing brands worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Helly Hansen, about 49% more searches than Rab

Helly Hansen 550K searchesRab 368K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.

Helly Hansen in 3 of 5Rab in 3 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.

Helly Hansen first in 2Rab first in 2

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Top outdoor clothing brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Helly Hansen and Rab were each mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Helly Hansen and Rab were each listed first in two of the four answers that named either.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Patagonia1st
  2. Arc'teryx2nd
  3. The North Face3rd
  4. Columbia4th
  5. Outdoor Research5th
  6. Helly Hansen6th
  7. Rab7th
  8. Kathmandu–
  9. Macpac–
  10. Mons Royale–
  11. +1 more

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Patagonia5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Arc'teryx5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Columbia4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Outdoor Research4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • The North Face3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Helly Hansen3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Rab3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Kathmandu0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Macpac0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Mons Royale0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

+1 more

See every answer about outdoor clothing brands

5 answers

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 19, 2026.

Is Helly Hansen or Rab more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Helly Hansen and Rab by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 outdoor clothing brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Helly Hansen and Rab among outdoor clothing brands worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Helly Hansen, Rab. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthThe North FacePatagoniaArc'teryxHelly HansenKathmanduRabColumbiaMacpacOutdoor ResearchMons RoyaleIcebreaker
Oct 202542%25.6%17.2%5.2%4.2%1.9%2.3%0.85%0.57%0.17%0.14%
Nov 202546.8%21%17.2%5.1%3.5%1.5%3.2%0.85%0.57%0.14%0.14%
Dec 202544.4%20%20%4.9%4%1.5%3.4%0.98%0.66%0.16%0.16%
Jan 202641.9%23.1%18.9%5.6%3.8%2.1%2.6%0.93%0.62%0.19%0.23%
Feb 202639%26.3%17.6%5.3%4.3%2.9%2.4%1.1%0.86%0.21%0.17%
Mar 202634%30.4%16.6%4.1%7.5%2.7%2%1.5%0.67%0.3%0.16%
Apr 202630.3%30.5%16.7%4.1%9.2%3.4%2.2%2.2%0.82%0.3%0.2%
May 202634.5%28.4%15.5%4.7%8.5%3.1%1.9%2.1%0.77%0.28%0.19%
Jun 202629.7%29.9%16.4%4%10.9%3.3%1.9%2.7%0.81%0.3%0.2%
Jul 202634.6%28.5%15.6%3.8%8.6%3.8%1.8%2.1%0.77%0.28%0.19%
Aug 202635.3%26.4%17.6%4.3%7.9%3.5%2%1.6%0.71%0.32%0.17%
Sep 202636.9%24.9%20.3%5%5%3.3%2.2%1.2%0.67%0.25%0.16%

How has the Helly Hansen and Rab comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Helly Hansen was ahead of Rab in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Helly Hansen’s share of searches among outdoor clothing brands worldwide moved from 5.2% to 5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 823K to 550K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Rab’s share of searches among outdoor clothing brands worldwide moved from 1.9% to 3.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 301K to 368K.

How did search popularity change for outdoor clothing brands worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Helly Hansen overtook Kathmandu to rank 4th among outdoor clothing brands worldwide, with 5% of the searches.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Rab worldwide rose 22.3% over 12 measured months, from 301K to 368K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Helly Hansen’s and Rab’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.

Helly Hansen

1 branded search term

  • hellyhansen

Rab

1 branded search term

  • rab

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among outdoor clothing brands

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