Deep Heat vs Nurofen:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Nurofen had more branded searches than Deep Heat among pain relief brands in New Zealand. Nurofen had about 4,810 branded searches, while Deep Heat had 2,900. Nurofen made up 26.5% of all pain relief brand searches we track, and Deep Heat accounted for 16%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about pain relief brands, Nurofen appeared in four of the five answers and Deep Heat in one. Nurofen was mentioned before Deep Heat in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Nurofen, about 66% more searches than Deep Heat
Who does AI mention more?
Nurofen, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Deep Heat in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Nurofen, named ahead of Deep Heat in 4 of 4 answers
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Top pain relief brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Nurofen was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Deep Heat was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Nurofen was listed before Deep Heat 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.
Panadol4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Nurofen4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Voltaren3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Maxigesic2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Deep Heat1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Naprogesic1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Disprin1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about pain relief brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which pain relief brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best pain relief brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best pain relief brand in New Zealand for headaches and aches?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best pain relief”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“strong pain relief”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is Deep Heat or Nurofen more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Deep Heat and Nurofen by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven pain relief brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Nurofen, Deep Heat. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Panadol | Nurofen | Deep Heat | Maxigesic | Naprogesic | Disprin | Voltaren |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34.9% | 27% | 12.8% | 13.4% | 6.9% | 4.4% | 0.61% |
| Nov 2025 | 35% | 26.8% | 13.4% | 13% | 6.8% | 4.1% | 0.85% |
| Dec 2025 | 38.6% | 25.7% | 12.5% | 12.2% | 6.4% | 4% | 0.63% |
| Jan 2026 | 35.3% | 28.5% | 13.4% | 11.2% | 7% | 3.9% | 0.63% |
| Feb 2026 | 36.8% | 25.3% | 14% | 11.8% | 7.2% | 4.3% | 0.59% |
| Mar 2026 | 34.2% | 28.8% | 12.7% | 13.2% | 6.7% | 3.8% | 0.54% |
| Apr 2026 | 32.6% | 26.2% | 12.5% | 18.5% | 6.3% | 3.2% | 0.66% |
| May 2026 | 33.8% | 25.4% | 15.1% | 15.1% | 6.2% | 3.8% | 0.69% |
| Jun 2026 | 33.2% | 28.8% | 15.1% | 13.1% | 6.2% | 3.1% | 0.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 32.2% | 28.5% | 14.7% | 14.3% | 6% | 3.7% | 0.61% |
| Aug 2026 | 37.1% | 27.1% | 13.6% | 13.7% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 0.56% |
| Sep 2026 | 34.5% | 26.5% | 16% | 12.8% | 6.1% | 3.9% | 0.39% |
How has the Deep Heat and Nurofen comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Nurofen was ahead of Deep Heat in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Deep Heat’s share of searches among pain relief brands in New Zealand moved from 12.8% to 16%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.9K to 2.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nurofen’s share of searches among pain relief brands in New Zealand moved from 27% to 26.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4K to 4.8K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand pain relief brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Deep Heat overtook Maxigesic to rank 3rd among pain relief brands in New Zealand, with 16% of the searches.
In September 2026, Nurofen lost share of searches among pain relief brands in New Zealand, from 27.1% to 26.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
12 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Deep Heat’s and Nurofen’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.
Other head-to-heads among pain relief brands
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