---
title: "Cargo pants brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the cargo pants brands people buy. Share of Search among Cotton On, Kathmandu, I Love Ugly, Levi's, Hard Yakka, Lee and Dickies, the cargo pants brands Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. 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-cargo-pants-brands"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Cargo pants brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?

Compare the cargo pants brands people buy. Share of Search among Cotton On, Kathmandu, I Love Ugly, Levi's, Hard Yakka, Lee and Dickies, the cargo pants brands Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. 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

- **Competitive set**: Cargo pants brands
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Brands compared**: 7
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Cotton On, 69.4%

## Which brand is most popular in search among cargo pants brands in New Zealand?

- In September 2026, Cotton On was the most searched among cargo pants brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 193K branded searches, 69.4% of all searches for the seven we track.
- Kathmandu is in 2nd place, 48.7 percentage points behind at 20.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cotton On’s share of searches among cargo pants brands in New Zealand peaked at 69.9% in February 2026 and was lowest at 61% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kathmandu’s share of searches among cargo pants brands in New Zealand peaked at 28.9% in July 2026 and was lowest at 19.5% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, I Love Ugly’s share of searches among cargo pants brands in New Zealand peaked at 14% in November 2025 and was lowest at 6.3% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cotton On, Kathmandu, I Love Ugly, Levi's, Hard Yakka, Lee and Dickies held steady: their share of searches among cargo pants brands in New Zealand each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top cargo pants brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Kathmandu was mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Dickies was recommended most often, coming first in three out of five answers. Kathmandu was second, and I Love Ugly was third. Levi's, which ranked fourth in searches, was not mentioned at all.

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dickies | 1st | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Kathmandu | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| I Love Ugly | 3rd | 1 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Cotton On | 4th | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Hard Yakka | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Levi's | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Lee | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about cargo pants brands

- Asked ChatGPT "Which cargo pants brand should I buy in New Zealand?": 1. Dickies, 2. Kathmandu, 3. Cotton On, 4. Hard Yakka
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best cargo pants brands in New Zealand?": 1. Dickies, 2. Hard Yakka, 3. Cotton On, 4. I Love Ugly
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best cargo pants brand in New Zealand for everyday wear?": 1. Dickies, 2. Kathmandu, 3. Cotton On
- Searched Google, AI Overview "cargo pants nz": 1. I Love Ugly, 2. Kathmandu
- Searched Google, AI Overview "men's cargo pants": 1. I Love Ugly, 2. Kathmandu

Not named in any answer: Levi's and Lee.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Cotton On vs Kathmandu: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/cotton-on-vs-kathmandu): 69.4% against 20.7% Share of Search.
- [Cotton On vs I Love Ugly: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/cotton-on-vs-i-love-ugly): 69.4% against 8% Share of Search.
- [Kathmandu vs I Love Ugly: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/i-love-ugly-vs-kathmandu): 20.7% against 8% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand cargo pants brands in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Cotton On gained share of searches among cargo pants brands in New Zealand, from 62.3% to 69.4%.
- In September 2026, I Love Ugly lost share of searches among cargo pants brands in New Zealand, from 13.1% to 8%.
- In September 2026, Kathmandu lost share of searches among cargo pants brands in New Zealand, from 22.6% to 20.7%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Lee in New Zealand fell 17.9% over 12 measured months, from 390 to 320 in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Cotton On | 69.4% | 193K | +0.2% | Cotton On |
| 2 | Kathmandu | 20.7% | 57.6K | -17.6% | KATHMANDU LIMITED |
| 3 | I Love Ugly | 8% | 22.3K | -45.2% | I Love Ugly |
| 4 | Levi's | 1.1% | 3K | -6.9% | Levi's |
| 5 | Hard Yakka | 0.75% | 2.1K | -9.6% | Hard Yakka |
| 6 | Lee | 0.11% | 320 | -33.3% | Lee |
| 7 | Dickies | 0.01% | 40 | +33.3% | Dickies |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Cotton On | 192K | 69.2% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Kathmandu | 57.4K | 20.7% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | I Love Ugly | 22.3K | 8% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Levi's | 3K | 1.1% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Hard Yakka | 2.1K | 0.77% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Lee | 390 | 0.14% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | Dickies | 40 | 0.01% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | Cotton On | 284K | 65.3% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Kathmandu | 84.7K | 19.5% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | I Love Ugly | 60.6K | 14% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Levi's | 2.9K | 0.67% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Hard Yakka | 2K | 0.46% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Lee | 390 | 0.09% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Dickies | 30 | <0.01% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Cotton On | 280K | 68.8% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Kathmandu | 89.6K | 22% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | I Love Ugly | 33.2K | 8.2% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Levi's | 2.3K | 0.56% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Hard Yakka | 1.6K | 0.38% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Lee | 260 | 0.06% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Dickies | 10 | <0.01% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Cotton On | 192K | 66.5% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Kathmandu | 74.2K | 25.6% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | I Love Ugly | 18.2K | 6.3% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Levi's | 2.3K | 0.78% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Hard Yakka | 2.1K | 0.72% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Lee | 320 | 0.11% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Dickies | 20 | <0.01% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Cotton On | 190K | 69.9% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Kathmandu | 59K | 21.7% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | I Love Ugly | 18.1K | 6.7% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Levi's | 2.3K | 0.84% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Hard Yakka | 2.1K | 0.76% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Lee | 390 | 0.14% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Dickies | 30 | 0.01% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Cotton On | 230K | 69.1% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Kathmandu | 70.3K | 21.1% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | I Love Ugly | 27.2K | 8.2% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Levi's | 3K | 0.89% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Hard Yakka | 2.2K | 0.65% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Lee | 390 | 0.12% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Dickies | 20 | <0.01% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | Cotton On | 229K | 67% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Kathmandu | 84.9K | 24.9% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | I Love Ugly | 22.3K | 6.5% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Levi's | 2.6K | 0.76% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Hard Yakka | 2.4K | 0.69% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Lee | 390 | 0.11% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Dickies | 30 | <0.01% | 7 |
| May 2026 | Cotton On | 229K | 68.4% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Kathmandu | 72.2K | 21.6% | 2 |
| May 2026 | I Love Ugly | 27.2K | 8.1% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Levi's | 3.1K | 0.94% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Hard Yakka | 2.6K | 0.77% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Lee | 480 | 0.14% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Dickies | 10 | <0.01% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | Cotton On | 188K | 61% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Kathmandu | 86.5K | 28.1% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | I Love Ugly | 27.1K | 8.8% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Levi's | 3K | 0.97% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Hard Yakka | 2.9K | 0.94% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Lee | 480 | 0.16% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Dickies | 30 | <0.01% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | Cotton On | 188K | 61.9% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Kathmandu | 87.7K | 28.9% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | I Love Ugly | 22.3K | 7.3% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Levi's | 2.6K | 0.86% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Hard Yakka | 2.6K | 0.86% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Lee | 480 | 0.16% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Dickies | 20 | <0.01% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | Cotton On | 193K | 62.3% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Kathmandu | 69.9K | 22.6% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | I Love Ugly | 40.6K | 13.1% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Levi's | 3.2K | 1% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Hard Yakka | 2.3K | 0.74% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Lee | 480 | 0.16% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Dickies | 30 | <0.01% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Cotton On | 193K | 69.4% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Kathmandu | 57.6K | 20.7% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | I Love Ugly | 22.3K | 8% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Levi's | 3K | 1.1% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Hard Yakka | 2.1K | 0.75% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Lee | 320 | 0.11% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Dickies | 40 | 0.01% | 7 |

## What is being compared

- **Cotton On**: Measured on the search terms “cotton on”, “cotton on activewear”, “cotton on body”, “cotton on jeans”, “cotton on mega”, “cotton on outlets”, “cotton on shoes”, “cotton on shorts”, “cotton on tops” and “cottonon”, summed into one figure.
- **Dickies**: Measured on the search term “coveralls dickies”.
- **Hard Yakka**: Measured on the search terms “hard yakka boots”, “hard yakka clothing”, “hard yakka overalls”, “hard yakka pants”, “hard yakka shirts” and “hardyakka”, summed into one figure.
- **I Love Ugly**: Measured on the search terms “i love ugly”, “i love ugly clothing” and “iloveugly”, summed into one figure.
- **Kathmandu**: Measured on the search terms “Kathmandu”, “kathmandu bayfair”, “kathmandu beach shelter”, “kathmandu beach trolley”, “kathmandu botany”, “kathmandu gloves”, “kathmandu lyall bay”, “kathmandu northland”, “kathmandu outlet”, “kathmandu retreat 280”, “kathmandu retreat 80”, “kathmandu socks”, “kathmandu st lukes”, “kathmandu sylvia park”, “kathmandu tower junction”, “kathmandu trolley”, “kathmandu vest”, “kathmandu waitakere” and “kathmandu westgate”, summed into one figure.
- **Lee**: Measured on the search term “lee jeans”.
- **Levi's**: Measured on the search terms “512 levis”, “levi's”, “levis”, “levis outlets” and “levis ribcage”, summed into one figure.

- [Cotton On](/demand/nz/brands/cotton-on)
- [Dickies](/demand/nz/brands/dickies)
- [Hard Yakka](/demand/nz/brands/hard-yakka)
- [I Love Ugly](/demand/nz/brands/i-love-ugly)
- [Kathmandu](/demand/nz/brands/kathmandu)
- [Lee](/demand/nz/brands/lee-jeans)
- [Levi's](/demand/nz/brands/levis)

## 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

### Which brand is most popular in search among cargo pants brands in New Zealand?

In September 2026, Cotton On was the most searched among cargo pants brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 193K branded searches, 69.4% of all searches for the seven we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Cargo pants brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-cargo-pants-brands

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-cargo-pants-brands. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.