KMC vs Ultimate Guard:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Ultimate Guard had more branded searches than KMC among trading card accessory brands worldwide. Ultimate Guard had about 27,100 branded searches, while KMC had 2,400. Ultimate Guard made up 12.5% of all trading card accessory brand searches we track, and KMC accounted for 1.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about trading card accessory brands, Ultimate Guard appeared in three of the five answers and KMC in two. Ultimate Guard was mentioned before KMC in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Ultimate Guard, about 11 searches for every 1 for KMC
Who does AI mention more?
Ultimate Guard, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, KMC in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Ultimate Guard, named ahead of KMC in 2 of 3 answers
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Top trading card accessory brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ultimate Guard was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. KMC was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Ultimate Guard was listed before KMC in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Dragon Shield1st- Ultimate Guard2nd
Ultra Pro3rd
BCW4th
KMC4th
Gamegenic–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Ultra Pro4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Dragon Shield3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Ultimate Guard3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- KMC2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- BCW1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Gamegenic0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about trading card accessory brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best card sleeves for Pokémon cards?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which card sleeve brand is best for Magic: The Gathering?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best binder for storing trading cards?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“card sleeves”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“card binder”
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 27, 2026.
Is KMC or Ultimate Guard more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for KMC and Ultimate Guard by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six trading card accessory brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Ultimate Guard, KMC. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Dragon Shield | Ultra Pro | Gamegenic | Ultimate Guard | BCW | KMC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 47.9% | 20.5% | 12.1% | 14.8% | 3.9% | 0.85% |
| Dec 2025 | 51.9% | 18.2% | 13.1% | 10.8% | 5.1% | 0.92% |
| Jan 2026 | 47.4% | 20.3% | 14.7% | 12% | 4.8% | 0.84% |
| Feb 2026 | 46.8% | 20% | 14.5% | 11.9% | 5.8% | 1% |
| Mar 2026 | 46.9% | 19.3% | 13.6% | 13.6% | 5.4% | 1.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 44% | 18.1% | 19% | 12.7% | 5.1% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 48.8% | 17.5% | 15.1% | 12.3% | 4.9% | 1.3% |
| Jun 2026 | 47.3% | 19% | 16.7% | 11.2% | 4.5% | 1.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 49.2% | 17.2% | 15.2% | 12.5% | 5% | 0.87% |
| Aug 2026 | 45.8% | 18.3% | 19.8% | 10.8% | 4.3% | 0.96% |
| Sep 2026 | 45.6% | 18.8% | 16.1% | 13.2% | 5.2% | 1.2% |
| Oct 2026 | 49.4% | 17.8% | 15.3% | 12.5% | 4% | 1.1% |
How has branded search for KMC and Ultimate Guard changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Ultimate Guard was ahead of KMC in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, KMC’s share of searches among trading card accessory brands worldwide moved from 0.85% to 1.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.9K to 2.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Ultimate Guard’s share of searches among trading card accessory brands worldwide moved from 14.8% to 12.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.1K to 27.1K.
How did search popularity change for trading card accessory brands worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, Ultimate Guard lost share of searches among trading card accessory brands worldwide, from 13.2% to 12.5%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for KMC worldwide rose 26.3% over 12 measured months, from 1.9K to 2.4K in October 2026.
How are KMC’s and Ultimate Guard’s branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using KMC’s and Ultimate Guard’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.
KMC
1 branded search term
- kmc sleeves
Ultimate Guard
1 branded search term
- ultimate guard
Other head-to-heads among trading card accessory brands
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