GORUCK vs Herschel:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Herschel had more branded searches than GORUCK among backpack brands worldwide. Herschel had about 283,000 branded searches, while GORUCK had 60,500. Herschel made up 4.6% of all backpack brand searches we track, and GORUCK accounted for 0.98%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about backpack brands, Herschel appeared in three of the five answers and GORUCK in two. Herschel was mentioned before GORUCK in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Herschel, about 5 searches for every 1 for GORUCK
Who does AI mention more?
Herschel, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, GORUCK in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Herschel, named ahead of GORUCK in 3 of 4 answers
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Top backpack brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Herschel was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. GORUCK was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Herschel was listed before GORUCK in three out of four answers that named either.
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 GORUCK or Herschel more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for GORUCK 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, GORUCK. 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 GORUCK and Herschel comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Herschel was ahead of GORUCK in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, GORUCK’s share of searches among backpack brands worldwide moved from 0.87% to 0.98%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 74K to 60.5K.
- 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%.
GORUCK’s share of searches among backpack brands worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 1.6% to 0.98% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using GORUCK’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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