--- title: "Columbia vs Outdoor Research: Which is searched more?" description: "Is Columbia or Outdoor Research more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Softshell jacket brands set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/softshell-jacket-brands/compare/columbia-vs-outdoor-research" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Columbia vs Outdoor Research: Which is searched more? Is Columbia or Outdoor Research more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Softshell jacket brands set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Columbia and Outdoor Research - **Competitive set**: Softshell jacket brands - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Columbia Share of Search**: 7.2% - **Outdoor Research Share of Search**: 2.2% ## Is Columbia or Outdoor Research more popular in search? - In September 2026, Columbia had more branded searches than Outdoor Research among softshell jacket brands worldwide. Columbia had about 245,000 branded searches, while Outdoor Research had 74,000. Columbia made up 7.2% of all softshell jacket brand searches we track, and Outdoor Research accounted for 2.2%. - Columbia was ahead of Outdoor Research in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Columbia’s share of searches among softshell jacket brands worldwide moved from 8.4% to 7.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 366K to 245K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Outdoor Research’s share of searches among softshell jacket brands worldwide moved from 2.1% to 2.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 74K. ## Top softshell jacket brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Outdoor Research was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Columbia was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Outdoor Research was listed before Columbia in every answer. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Arc'teryx | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Outdoor Research | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Rab | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Mammut | 4th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Columbia | 5th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Carhartt | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about softshell jacket brands - Asked ChatGPT "Which softshell jacket brand should I buy?": 1. Arc'teryx, 2. Outdoor Research, 3. Rab - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best softshell jacket brands?": 1. Arc'teryx, 2. Outdoor Research, 3. Rab, 4. Mammut, 5. Columbia - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best softshell jacket brand for outdoor layering?": 1. Arc'teryx, 2. Outdoor Research, 3. Rab - Searched Google, AI Overview "women's softshell jacket": 1. Columbia - Searched Google, AI Overview "men's softshell jacket": 1. Arc'teryx, 2. Outdoor Research, 3. Rab Not named in any answer: Carhartt. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for softshell jacket brands worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, Outdoor Research lost share of searches among softshell jacket brands worldwide, from 2.7% to 2.2%. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Columbia worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 366K to 245K in September 2026. ## Month by month | Month | Columbia estimated searches | Columbia Share of Search | Columbia rank | Outdoor Research estimated searches | Outdoor Research Share of Search | Outdoor Research rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 366K | 8.4% | 3 | 90.5K | 2.1% | 5 | | Nov 2025 | 751K | 10.9% | 3 | 135K | 2% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | 696K | 10.3% | 3 | 135K | 2% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | 466K | 9.1% | 3 | 110K | 2.1% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | 300K | 8.6% | 4 | 110K | 3.2% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | 220K | 8% | 4 | 74K | 2.7% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | 201K | 8.8% | 4 | 74K | 3.2% | 5 | | May 2026 | 184K | 8.2% | 3 | 74K | 3.3% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | 171K | 7.7% | 3 | 74K | 3.3% | 5 | | Jul 2026 | 171K | 7.5% | 3 | 74K | 3.2% | 5 | | Aug 2026 | 209K | 7.6% | 4 | 74K | 2.7% | 5 | | Sep 2026 | 245K | 7.2% | 4 | 74K | 2.2% | 5 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Columbia’s and Outdoor Research’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. - **Columbia**: Measured on the search terms “columbia jacket” and “columbia sportswear”, summed into one figure. - **Outdoor Research**: Measured on the search term “outdoor research”. - [Columbia profile](/demand/global-en/brands/columbia) - [Outdoor Research profile](/demand/global-en/brands/outdoor-research) - [All softshell jacket brands worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/softshell-jacket-brands): The set both shares are measured inside, 6 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Columbia or Outdoor Research more popular in search? In September 2026, Columbia had more branded searches than Outdoor Research among softshell jacket brands worldwide. Columbia had about 245,000 branded searches, while Outdoor Research had 74,000. Columbia made up 7.2% of all softshell jacket brand searches we track, and Outdoor Research accounted for 2.2%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Columbia vs Outdoor Research: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/softshell-jacket-brands/compare/columbia-vs-outdoor-research This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/softshell-jacket-brands/compare/columbia-vs-outdoor-research. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.