Outdoor Research vs Rab:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Rab had more branded searches than Outdoor Research among softshell jacket brands worldwide. Rab had about 368,000 branded searches, while Outdoor Research had 74,000. Rab made up 10.9% of all softshell jacket brand searches we track, and Outdoor Research accounted for 2.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about softshell jacket brands, Outdoor Research and Rab each appeared in four of the five answers. Outdoor Research was mentioned before Rab in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Rab, about 5 searches for every 1 for Outdoor Research
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 4 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Outdoor Research, named ahead of Rab in every answer
Follow Outdoor Research vs Rab and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top softshell jacket brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Outdoor Research and Rab were each mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Outdoor Research was listed before Rab in every answer.
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.
Arc'teryx4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Rab4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Outdoor Research4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Columbia2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Mammut1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Carhartt0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about softshell jacket brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which softshell jacket brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best softshell jacket brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best softshell jacket brand for outdoor layering?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“women's softshell jacket”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“men's softshell jacket”
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 Outdoor Research or Rab more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Outdoor Research and Rab by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six softshell jacket brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Rab, Outdoor Research. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Arc'teryx | Carhartt | Rab | Columbia | Outdoor Research | Mammut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 63.2% | 19% | 6.9% | 8.4% | 2.1% | 0.39% |
| Nov 2025 | 59.6% | 21.8% | 5.4% | 10.9% | 2% | 0.35% |
| Dec 2025 | 60.7% | 22.3% | 4.5% | 10.3% | 2% | 0.29% |
| Jan 2026 | 65.2% | 16% | 7.2% | 9.1% | 2.1% | 0.38% |
| Feb 2026 | 64.3% | 12.9% | 10.6% | 8.6% | 3.2% | 0.47% |
| Mar 2026 | 66.8% | 11% | 11% | 8% | 2.7% | 0.42% |
| Apr 2026 | 65.6% | 8.8% | 13.2% | 8.8% | 3.2% | 0.49% |
| May 2026 | 67.2% | 7.4% | 13.5% | 8.2% | 3.3% | 0.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 67.6% | 7.4% | 13.6% | 7.7% | 3.3% | 0.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 65.6% | 7.2% | 16.1% | 7.5% | 3.2% | 0.39% |
| Aug 2026 | 66.8% | 9% | 13.4% | 7.6% | 2.7% | 0.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 66.1% | 13.3% | 10.9% | 7.2% | 2.2% | 0.4% |
How has the Outdoor Research and Rab comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Rab was ahead of Outdoor Research in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Rab’s share of searches among softshell jacket brands worldwide moved from 6.9% to 10.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 301K to 368K.
How did search popularity change for softshell jacket brands worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Carhartt overtook Rab to rank 2nd among softshell jacket brands worldwide, with 13.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, Rab lost share of searches among softshell jacket brands worldwide, from 13.4% to 10.9%.
In September 2026, Outdoor Research lost share of searches among softshell jacket brands worldwide, from 2.7% to 2.2%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Outdoor Research’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.
Outdoor Research
1 branded search term
- outdoor research
Rab
1 branded search term
- rab
Other head-to-heads among softshell jacket brands
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.