Helly Hansen vs Icebreaker:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Helly Hansen had more branded searches than Icebreaker among outdoor clothing brands worldwide. Helly Hansen had about 550,000 branded searches, while Icebreaker had 18,100. Helly Hansen made up 5% of all outdoor clothing brand searches we track, and Icebreaker accounted for 0.16%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about outdoor clothing brands, Helly Hansen appeared in three of the five answers and Icebreaker in none.
Who do people search for more?
Helly Hansen, about 30 searches for every 1 for Icebreaker
Who does AI mention more?
Helly Hansen, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Icebreaker in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Helly Hansen, the only one of the two named
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Top outdoor clothing brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Helly Hansen was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Icebreaker 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.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Patagonia5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Arc'teryx5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Columbia4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Outdoor Research4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
The North Face3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Helly Hansen3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Rab3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Kathmandu0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Macpac0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Icebreaker0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about outdoor clothing brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which outdoor clothing brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best outdoor clothing brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best outdoor clothing brand for cold wet weather?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“outdoor clothing brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“outdoor jacket brands”
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 Helly Hansen or Icebreaker more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Helly Hansen and Icebreaker by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 outdoor clothing brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Helly Hansen, Icebreaker. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | The North Face | Patagonia | Arc'teryx | Helly Hansen | Kathmandu | Rab | Columbia | Macpac | Outdoor Research | Mons Royale | Icebreaker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 42% | 25.6% | 17.2% | 5.2% | 4.2% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 0.85% | 0.57% | 0.17% | 0.14% |
| Nov 2025 | 46.8% | 21% | 17.2% | 5.1% | 3.5% | 1.5% | 3.2% | 0.85% | 0.57% | 0.14% | 0.14% |
| Dec 2025 | 44.4% | 20% | 20% | 4.9% | 4% | 1.5% | 3.4% | 0.98% | 0.66% | 0.16% | 0.16% |
| Jan 2026 | 41.9% | 23.1% | 18.9% | 5.6% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 0.93% | 0.62% | 0.19% | 0.23% |
| Feb 2026 | 39% | 26.3% | 17.6% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 0.86% | 0.21% | 0.17% |
| Mar 2026 | 34% | 30.4% | 16.6% | 4.1% | 7.5% | 2.7% | 2% | 1.5% | 0.67% | 0.3% | 0.16% |
| Apr 2026 | 30.3% | 30.5% | 16.7% | 4.1% | 9.2% | 3.4% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 0.82% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| May 2026 | 34.5% | 28.4% | 15.5% | 4.7% | 8.5% | 3.1% | 1.9% | 2.1% | 0.77% | 0.28% | 0.19% |
| Jun 2026 | 29.7% | 29.9% | 16.4% | 4% | 10.9% | 3.3% | 1.9% | 2.7% | 0.81% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 34.6% | 28.5% | 15.6% | 3.8% | 8.6% | 3.8% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 0.77% | 0.28% | 0.19% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.3% | 26.4% | 17.6% | 4.3% | 7.9% | 3.5% | 2% | 1.6% | 0.71% | 0.32% | 0.17% |
| Sep 2026 | 36.9% | 24.9% | 20.3% | 5% | 5% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.67% | 0.25% | 0.16% |
How has the Helly Hansen and Icebreaker comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Helly Hansen was ahead of Icebreaker in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Helly Hansen’s share of searches among outdoor clothing brands worldwide moved from 5.2% to 5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 823K to 550K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Icebreaker’s share of searches among outdoor clothing brands worldwide moved from 0.14% to 0.16%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 22.2K to 18.1K.
How did search popularity change for outdoor clothing brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Helly Hansen overtook Kathmandu to rank 4th among outdoor clothing brands worldwide, with 5% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Icebreaker worldwide fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 22.2K to 18.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Helly Hansen’s and Icebreaker’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.
Helly Hansen
1 branded search term
- hellyhansen
Icebreaker
1 branded search term
- icebreaker merino
Other head-to-heads among outdoor clothing brands
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