--- title: "Front Runner vs Smittybilt: Which is searched more?" description: "Is Front Runner or Smittybilt more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Roof tents 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/compare/front-runner-vs-smittybilt" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Front Runner vs Smittybilt: Which is searched more? Is Front Runner or Smittybilt more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Roof tents 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**: Front Runner and Smittybilt - **Competitive set**: Roof tents - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Front Runner Share of Search**: 0.3% - **Smittybilt Share of Search**: 1.7% ## Is Front Runner or Smittybilt more popular in search? - 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%. - 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. ## 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. 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Roofnest | 1st | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | iKamper | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Thule | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | 23Zero | 4th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Tepui | 5th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Smittybilt | 6th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Darche | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | James Baroud | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Naturnest | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Yakima | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Autohome | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Front Runner | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about roof tents - Asked ChatGPT "Which roof tent should I buy?": 1. Roofnest, 2. Thule, 3. Tepui, 4. Smittybilt - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best roof tent brands?": 1. iKamper, 2. Roofnest, 3. Thule - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best roof tent for camping off road?": 1. 23Zero, 2. Roofnest, 3. iKamper - Searched Google, AI Overview "roof tents": named none of the brands we track - Searched Google, AI Overview "roof tent for suv": named none of the brands we track Not named in any answer: Darche, James Baroud, Naturnest, Yakima, Autohome and Front Runner. 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 roof tents worldwide in September 2026? - Estimated monthly branded searches for Front Runner worldwide fell 19.2% over 12 measured months, from 260 to 210 in September 2026. ## Month by month | Month | Front Runner estimated searches | Front Runner Share of Search | Front Runner rank | Smittybilt estimated searches | Smittybilt Share of Search | Smittybilt rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 260 | 0.39% | 12 | 1.2K | 1.8% | 9 | | Nov 2025 | 210 | 0.33% | 12 | 640 | 1% | 11 | | Dec 2025 | 170 | 0.32% | 12 | 520 | 0.98% | 11 | | Jan 2026 | 210 | 0.33% | 12 | 640 | 1% | 11 | | Feb 2026 | 210 | 0.35% | 12 | 640 | 1.1% | 11 | | Mar 2026 | 320 | 0.47% | 12 | 960 | 1.4% | 11 | | Apr 2026 | 390 | 0.54% | 12 | 1.2K | 1.6% | 9 | | May 2026 | 390 | 0.48% | 12 | 1.4K | 1.8% | 10 | | Jun 2026 | 390 | 0.48% | 12 | 1.8K | 2.2% | 9 | | Jul 2026 | 390 | 0.46% | 12 | 1.4K | 1.7% | 10 | | Aug 2026 | 390 | 0.4% | 12 | 1.2K | 1.2% | 10 | | Sep 2026 | 210 | 0.3% | 12 | 1.2K | 1.7% | 10 | ## How each brand is measured 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**: Measured on the search term “front runner roof tent”. - **Smittybilt**: Measured on the search terms “smittybilt roof tent” and “smittybilt rooftop tent”, summed into one figure. - [Front Runner profile](/demand/global-en/brands/front-runner) - [Smittybilt profile](/demand/global-en/brands/smittybilt) - [All roof tents worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/roof-tents): The set both shares are measured inside, 12 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 Front Runner or Smittybilt more popular in search? 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%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Front Runner vs Smittybilt: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/front-runner-vs-smittybilt This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/front-runner-vs-smittybilt. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.