Patagonia vs Xcel:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Patagonia had more branded searches than Xcel among surf brands worldwide. Patagonia had about 2.7 million branded searches, while Xcel had 9,900. Patagonia made up 57% of all surf brand searches we track, and Xcel accounted for 0.21%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about surf brands, Patagonia and Xcel each appeared in three of the five answers. Patagonia was mentioned before Xcel in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Patagonia, about 277 searches for every 1 for Xcel
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Patagonia, named ahead of Xcel in 2 of 3 answers
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Top surf brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Patagonia 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. Patagonia was listed before Xcel 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.
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 Patagonia or Xcel more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Patagonia 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 Patagonia, 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 Patagonia and Xcel comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Patagonia was ahead of Xcel in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Patagonia’s share of searches among surf brands worldwide moved from 66.2% to 57%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.1M to 2.7M.
- 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
In September 2026, Patagonia gained share of searches among surf brands worldwide, from 54.3% to 57%.
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 Patagonia’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.
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