Outerknown vs Xcel:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Outerknown had more branded searches than Xcel among surf brands worldwide. Outerknown had about 33,100 branded searches, while Xcel had 9,900. Outerknown made up 0.69% of all surf brand searches we track, and Xcel accounted for 0.21%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about surf brands, Outerknown and Xcel each appeared in three of the five answers. Outerknown and Xcel were each mentioned first in two of the four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Outerknown, about 3 searches for every 1 for Xcel
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.
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Top surf brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Outerknown and Xcel were each mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Outerknown and Xcel were each listed first in two of the four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Rip Curl1st
Billabong2nd
O'Neill3rd
Vissla4th
Patagonia5th- Outerknown6th
Quiksilver7th
Xcel8th- Florence Marine X9th
Volcom10th- +1 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Rip Curl5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- O'Neill5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Billabong4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Vissla4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Patagonia3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Quiksilver3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Outerknown3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Florence Marine X3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Xcel3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Roxy1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about surf brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which surf brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best surf brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best surf brand for beach and surf wear?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“surf brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“surf clothing brand”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Outerknown or Xcel more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Outerknown and Xcel by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 surf brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Outerknown, Xcel. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Patagonia | Roxy | Billabong | Rip Curl | O'Neill | Quiksilver | Volcom | Outerknown | Vissla | Florence Marine X | Xcel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 66.2% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 0.66% | 0.36% | 0.13% | 0.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 66.6% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 6% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 4% | 0.66% | 0.36% | 0.13% | 0.2% |
| Dec 2025 | 61.7% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 4.6% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 0.61% | 0.33% | 0.15% | 0.18% |
| Jan 2026 | 60.7% | 10% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 0.49% | 0.33% | 0.12% | 0.15% |
| Feb 2026 | 63.6% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 0.63% | 0.34% | 0.15% | 0.15% |
| Mar 2026 | 59.4% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 0.59% | 0.39% | 0.18% | 0.18% |
| Apr 2026 | 55% | 11% | 11% | 7.4% | 5% | 4.9% | 4% | 0.66% | 0.45% | 0.2% | 0.24% |
| May 2026 | 54.4% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 7.3% | 6% | 4.9% | 4% | 0.66% | 0.54% | 0.2% | 0.24% |
| Jun 2026 | 54.4% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 7.3% | 6% | 4.9% | 4% | 0.66% | 0.54% | 0.24% | 0.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 52.4% | 12.9% | 10.5% | 7% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 0.63% | 0.52% | 0.23% | 0.19% |
| Aug 2026 | 54.3% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 7.3% | 6% | 4.9% | 4% | 0.8% | 0.54% | 0.24% | 0.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 57% | 11.4% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 5.2% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 0.69% | 0.46% | 0.21% | 0.21% |
How has the Outerknown and Xcel comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Outerknown was ahead of Xcel in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Outerknown’s share of searches among surf brands worldwide moved from 0.66% to 0.69%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 40.5K to 33.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Xcel’s share of searches among surf brands worldwide moved from 0.2% to 0.21%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.1K to 9.9K.
How did search popularity change for surf brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for Outerknown worldwide fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 40.5K to 33.1K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Xcel worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 12.1K to 9.9K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Outerknown’s and Xcel’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.
Outerknown
1 branded search term
- outerknown
Xcel
1 branded search term
- xcel wetsuit
Other head-to-heads among surf brands
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