--- title: "Columbia vs Icebreaker: Which is searched more in New Zealand?" description: "Is Columbia or Icebreaker more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Base layer brands set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-base-layer-brands/compare/columbia-vs-icebreaker" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Columbia vs Icebreaker: Which is searched more in New Zealand? Is Columbia or Icebreaker more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Base layer brands set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Columbia and Icebreaker - **Competitive set**: Base layer brands - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Columbia Share of Search**: 0.57% - **Icebreaker Share of Search**: 0.57% ## Is Columbia or Icebreaker more popular in search? - In September 2026, Columbia and Icebreaker were level in searches among base layer brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 350 branded searches each, at 0.57% of the total each. - The lead changed hands 3 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Columbia took it in December 2025, Icebreaker took it in March 2026, Columbia took it in April 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Columbia’s share of searches among base layer brands in New Zealand moved from 0.48% to 0.57%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 320 to 350. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Icebreaker’s share of searches among base layer brands in New Zealand moved from 0.56% to 0.57%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 370 to 350. ## Top base layer brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Icebreaker was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Columbia did not appear in any of the five answers. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Icebreaker | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Mons Royale | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Macpac | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Devold | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Columbia | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Burton | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Castelli | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | First Lite | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about base layer brands - Asked ChatGPT "Which base layer brand should I buy in New Zealand?": 1. Icebreaker, 2. Macpac, 3. Mons Royale - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best base layer brands in New Zealand?": 1. Icebreaker, 2. Mons Royale, 3. Macpac, 4. Devold - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best base layer brand in New Zealand for cold weather?": 1. Icebreaker, 2. Mons Royale, 3. Macpac, 4. Devold - Searched Google, AI Overview "thermal base layer": 1. Mons Royale, 2. Macpac - Searched Google, AI Overview "merino base layer nz": 1. Icebreaker, 2. Mons Royale, 3. Macpac Not named in any answer: Columbia, Burton, Castelli and First Lite. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 20, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand base layer brands in September 2026? Neither Columbia nor Icebreaker moved beyond provider rounding among base layer brands in Sep 2026. ## Month by month | Month | Columbia estimated searches | Columbia Share of Search | Columbia rank | Icebreaker estimated searches | Icebreaker Share of Search | Icebreaker rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 320 | 0.48% | 4 | 370 | 0.56% | 3 | | Nov 2025 | 280 | 0.34% | 4 | 400 | 0.49% | 3 | | Dec 2025 | 430 | 0.43% | 3 | 280 | 0.28% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | 430 | 0.52% | 3 | 280 | 0.34% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | 370 | 0.53% | 3 | 320 | 0.46% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | 370 | 0.44% | 4 | 380 | 0.46% | 3 | | Apr 2026 | 500 | 0.58% | 3 | 320 | 0.37% | 4 | | May 2026 | 530 | 0.62% | 3 | 350 | 0.41% | 4 | | Jun 2026 | 530 | 0.55% | 3 | 350 | 0.36% | 4 | | Jul 2026 | 490 | 0.57% | 3 | 460 | 0.54% | 4 | | Aug 2026 | 530 | 0.72% | 3 | 430 | 0.59% | 4 | | Sep 2026 | 350 | 0.57% | 3 | 350 | 0.57% | 4 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Columbia’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. - **Columbia**: Measured on the search terms “columbia sportswear” and “columbia sportswear fleece”, summed into one figure. - **Icebreaker**: Measured on the search terms “icebreaker clothing” and “icebreaker clothing sale”, summed into one figure. - [Columbia profile](/demand/nz/brands/columbia) - [Icebreaker profile](/demand/nz/brands/icebreaker) - [All base layer brands in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-base-layer-brands): The set both shares are measured inside, 8 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Columbia or Icebreaker more popular in search? In September 2026, Columbia and Icebreaker were level in searches among base layer brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 350 branded searches each, at 0.57% of the total each. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Columbia vs Icebreaker: Which is searched more in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-base-layer-brands/compare/columbia-vs-icebreaker This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-base-layer-brands/compare/columbia-vs-icebreaker. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.