Front Runner vs Smittybilt:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Smittybilt had more branded searches than Front Runner among roof tents worldwide. Smittybilt had about 1,180 branded searches, while Front Runner had 210. Smittybilt made up 1.7% of all roof tent searches we track, and Front Runner accounted for 0.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about roof tents, Smittybilt appeared in one of the five answers and Front Runner in none.
Who do people search for more?
Smittybilt, about 6 searches for every 1 for Front Runner
Who does AI mention more?
Smittybilt, mentioned in 1 of 5 answers, Front Runner in 0
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Top roof tents in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Smittybilt was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Front Runner did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Roofnest1st
iKamper2nd
Thule3rd
23Zero4th- Tepui5th
- Smittybilt6th
Darche–
James Baroud–
Naturnest–- +2 more
Front Runner–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Roofnest3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- iKamper2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Thule2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- 23Zero1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Smittybilt1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Tepui1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Darche0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- James Baroud0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Naturnest0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Front Runner0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about roof tents
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which roof tent should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best roof tent brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best roof tent for camping off road?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“roof tents”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“roof tent for suv”
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 Front Runner or Smittybilt more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Front Runner and Smittybilt by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 roof tent brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Smittybilt, Front Runner. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | iKamper | Roofnest | 23Zero | Darche | James Baroud | Thule | Naturnest | Yakima | Autohome | Smittybilt | Tepui | Front Runner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 33.6% | 18.3% | 18% | 7.6% | 8% | 3.6% | 2.8% | 3.4% | 1.3% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 0.39% |
| Nov 2025 | 35.3% | 15.6% | 19% | 10% | 6.9% | 3% | 3.8% | 2.8% | 1% | 1% | 1.4% | 0.33% |
| Dec 2025 | 34.7% | 14.9% | 18.7% | 10.2% | 6.8% | 3.6% | 4.5% | 2.9% | 1% | 0.98% | 1.4% | 0.32% |
| Jan 2026 | 35.2% | 12.3% | 18.9% | 10.4% | 8.4% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 1.5% | 1% | 1.1% | 0.33% |
| Feb 2026 | 38% | 13.3% | 16.7% | 7.3% | 9.1% | 4% | 4% | 3.3% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 0.35% |
| Mar 2026 | 33.4% | 14.7% | 17.9% | 7.8% | 9.7% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 0.47% |
| Apr 2026 | 38.2% | 14.5% | 13.8% | 6% | 9.1% | 6.1% | 3.3% | 4% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.54% |
| May 2026 | 41.4% | 15.1% | 12.2% | 5.3% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 3.5% | 2% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 0.48% |
| Jun 2026 | 41.7% | 14.6% | 12.3% | 5.3% | 8.2% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 3.5% | 1.6% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 0.48% |
| Jul 2026 | 40.2% | 14% | 11.8% | 6.3% | 9.6% | 5.2% | 3.4% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 0.46% |
| Aug 2026 | 42.4% | 12.7% | 12.5% | 6.5% | 10.2% | 4.5% | 3% | 3.2% | 2.4% | 1.2% | 1% | 0.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 38.9% | 14.2% | 14.1% | 9.5% | 7.6% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 1% | 0.3% |
How has the Front Runner and Smittybilt comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Smittybilt was ahead of Front Runner in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Front Runner’s share of searches among roof tents worldwide moved from 0.39% to 0.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 260 to 210.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Smittybilt’s share of searches among roof tents worldwide moved from 1.8% to 1.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.2K.
How did search popularity change for roof tents worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Front Runner worldwide fell 19.2% over 12 measured months, from 260 to 210 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Front Runner’s and Smittybilt’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.
Front Runner
1 branded search term
- front runner roof tent
Smittybilt
2 branded search terms
- smittybilt roof tent
- smittybilt rooftop tent
Other head-to-heads among roof tents
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