Aer vs Herschel:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Herschel had more branded searches than Aer among backpack brands worldwide. Herschel had about 283,000 branded searches, while Aer had 33,100. Herschel made up 4.6% of all backpack brand searches we track, and Aer accounted for 0.54%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about backpack brands, Aer appeared in all five answers and Herschel in three. Aer was mentioned before Herschel in every answer.
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Top backpack brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Aer appeared in all five answers. Herschel was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Aer was listed before Herschel in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Aer1st
Osprey2nd
The North Face3rd
JanSport4th
Bellroy5th
Peak Design6th
GORUCK7th
Fjällräven8th
Herschel9th
Deuter10th- +1 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Osprey5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Aer5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
The North Face4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
JanSport3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Herschel3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Fjällräven2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Bellroy2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Peak Design2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
GORUCK2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Deuter2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about backpack brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which backpack brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best backpack brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best backpack brand for everyday carry?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“backpack brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best backpack”
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 Aer or Herschel more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Aer and Herschel by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 backpack brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Herschel, Aer. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | The North Face | Fjällräven | JanSport | Herschel | Bellroy | Peak Design | Osprey | GORUCK | Aer | NOMATIC | Deuter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 78.4% | 7.9% | 3.5% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 0.87% | 0.32% | 0.32% | 0.21% |
| Nov 2025 | 82.1% | 7.4% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1% | 0.81% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.13% |
| Dec 2025 | 80.9% | 7.3% | 2.9% | 2.3% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.66% | 0.24% | 0.24% | 0.13% |
| Jan 2026 | 78.5% | 7.1% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.78% | 0.29% | 0.29% | 0.19% |
| Feb 2026 | 74% | 8.2% | 5.7% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.22% |
| Mar 2026 | 67.3% | 9.9% | 6.6% | 3.9% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.5% | 1.3% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.33% |
| Apr 2026 | 62.4% | 10.3% | 7.6% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 0.62% | 0.51% | 0.42% |
| May 2026 | 63.9% | 10.5% | 7.7% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 0.63% | 0.43% | 0.35% |
| Jun 2026 | 57.2% | 9.5% | 12.9% | 5.4% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 1.6% | 0.7% | 0.47% | 0.38% |
| Jul 2026 | 51.5% | 8.5% | 24% | 5.3% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.51% | 0.28% | 0.34% |
| Aug 2026 | 50% | 9.2% | 22.9% | 6.9% | 3.4% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 1% | 0.55% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Sep 2026 | 65.9% | 10.9% | 7.2% | 4.6% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 0.98% | 0.54% | 0.36% | 0.29% |
How has the Aer and Herschel comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Herschel was ahead of Aer in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Aer’s share of searches among backpack brands worldwide moved from 0.32% to 0.54%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 33.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Herschel’s share of searches among backpack brands worldwide moved from 2.5% to 4.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 217K to 283K.
How did search popularity change for backpack brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Herschel lost share of searches among backpack brands worldwide, from 6.9% to 4.6%.

Estimated monthly branded searches for Aer worldwide rose 22.1% over 12 measured months, from 27.1K to 33.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Aer’s and Herschel’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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