Kobalt vs U.S. General:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, U.S. General had more branded searches than Kobalt among toolbox brands worldwide. U.S. General had about 14,800 branded searches, while Kobalt had 1,900. U.S. General made up 20.2% of all toolbox brand searches we track, and Kobalt accounted for 2.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about toolbox brands, U.S. General appeared in three of the five answers and Kobalt in one. U.S. General was mentioned before Kobalt in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
U.S. General, about 8 searches for every 1 for Kobalt
Who does AI mention more?
U.S. General, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Kobalt in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
U.S. General, named ahead of Kobalt in 3 of 3 answers
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Top toolbox brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, U.S. General was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Kobalt was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. U.S. General was listed before Kobalt in every answer that named either.
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.
- Husky5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Milwaukee5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
DeWalt5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Craftsman4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- U.S. General3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Snap-on2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
ToughBuilt1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Kobalt1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Stanley0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Kennedy0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about toolbox brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which toolbox brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best toolbox brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best toolbox brand for tool storage?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best toolbox”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“tool box for tools”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Kobalt or U.S. General more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kobalt and U.S. General by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 toolbox brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for U.S. General, Kobalt. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | U.S. General | Stanley | Kennedy | Husky | Snap-on | Craftsman | Milwaukee | ToughBuilt | DeWalt | Kobalt | Makita | Proto |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 30.1% | 13.4% | 11% | 9% | 11% | 6% | 6% | 4.5% | 3.2% | 4% | 1.4% | 0.36% |
| Nov 2025 | 20.2% | 16.5% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 9% | 7.3% | 5.4% | 4% | 2.7% | 1.4% | 0.36% |
| Dec 2025 | 19.7% | 16.1% | 8.8% | 10.7% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 4.3% | 8.8% | 4.8% | 1.7% | 0.35% |
| Jan 2026 | 25.8% | 14.1% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 4.7% | 6.3% | 3.4% | 1.2% | 0.37% |
| Feb 2026 | 20.3% | 13.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 4.9% | 6% | 4.5% | 20.3% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 0.36% |
| Mar 2026 | 27.5% | 15% | 12.3% | 10% | 10% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 5% | 3.6% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 33.5% | 15% | 12.2% | 8.2% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 5.4% | 4.1% | 3.6% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.4% |
| May 2026 | 20.3% | 16.6% | 13.6% | 11.1% | 11.1% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 4.5% | 4% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 0.44% |
| Jun 2026 | 20.7% | 17% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 4.6% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 1.4% | 0.36% |
| Jul 2026 | 22.3% | 18.2% | 12.2% | 9.9% | 9.9% | 8.1% | 6.6% | 4.2% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 1.5% | 0.39% |
| Aug 2026 | 20.2% | 16.5% | 13.5% | 11.1% | 11.1% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 4.6% | 4% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.44% |
| Sep 2026 | 20.2% | 16.5% | 13.5% | 11.1% | 11.1% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 4.6% | 4% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.35% |
Kobalt sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “kobalt toolbox”.
How has the Kobalt and U.S. General comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- U.S. General was ahead of Kobalt in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kobalt’s share of searches among toolbox brands worldwide moved from 4% to 2.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.6K to 1.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, U.S. General’s share of searches among toolbox brands worldwide moved from 30.1% to 20.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 14.8K.
How did search popularity change for toolbox brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for Kobalt worldwide fell 47.2% over 12 measured months, from 3.6K to 1.9K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for U.S. General worldwide fell 45.4% over 12 measured months, from 27.1K to 14.8K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kobalt’s and U.S. General’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.
Kobalt
1 branded search term
- kobalt toolbox
U.S. General
1 branded search term
- u.s. general
Other head-to-heads among toolbox brands
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