Brandwave

Columbia vs The North Face:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, The North Face had more branded searches than Columbia among waterproof jacket brands in New Zealand. The North Face had about 5,660 branded searches, while Columbia had 420. The North Face made up 4.4% of all waterproof jacket brand searches we track, and Columbia accounted for 0.33%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about waterproof jacket brands, The North Face appeared in two of the five answers and Columbia in none.

Among waterproof jacket brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

The North Face, about 13 searches for every 1 for Columbia

The North Face 5.7K searchesColumbia 420 searches

Who does AI mention more?

The North Face, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Columbia in 0

The North Face in 2 of 5Columbia in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

The North Face, the only one of the two named

The North Face first in 2Columbia never named

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Top waterproof jacket brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, The North Face was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Columbia did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Kathmandu1st
  2. Macpac2nd
  3. Patagonia3rd
  4. The North Face4th
  5. Cactus Outdoor5th
  6. Columbia–
  7. Rab–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Kathmandu5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Macpac5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Patagonia4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • The North Face2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Cactus Outdoor2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Columbia0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Rab0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about waterproof jacket brands

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Is Columbia or The North Face more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Columbia and The North Face by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven waterproof jacket brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Columbia and The North Face among waterproof jacket brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for The North Face, Columbia. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthKathmanduMacpacPatagoniaThe North FaceCactus OutdoorColumbiaRab
Oct 202541.9%36.1%14.3%3.3%3.9%0.36%0.07%
Nov 202547.7%34%12.6%2.9%2.5%0.25%0.05%
Dec 202545.5%37.6%11.6%2.7%2.2%0.3%0.06%
Jan 202642.3%34.5%15.8%3.9%3.1%0.36%0.06%
Feb 202641.6%34.9%16.6%3.3%3.1%0.36%0.08%
Mar 202641.9%36.1%14.3%3.4%3.9%0.32%0.08%
Apr 202645.2%32.2%15.1%3.6%3.5%0.34%0.09%
May 202642.4%35.5%13.5%4.3%3.9%0.39%0.12%
Jun 202643%36.8%11.6%4.8%3.3%0.37%0.07%
Jul 202646.6%32.2%12.4%4.9%3.5%0.32%0.09%
Aug 202643.1%30.5%17.4%5.2%3.3%0.38%0.09%
Sep 202644.9%31.6%15.3%4.4%3.4%0.33%0.07%

How has the Columbia and The North Face comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for New Zealand waterproof jacket brands in September 2026?

2 changes
  1. In September 2026, The North Face lost share of searches among waterproof jacket brands in New Zealand, from 5.2% to 4.4%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Columbia in New Zealand fell 14.3% over 12 measured months, from 490 to 420 in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

12 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Columbia’s and The North Face’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

3 branded search terms

  • columbia clothing
  • columbia sportswear
  • columbia sportswear fleece

The North Face

9 branded search terms

  • borealis the north face
  • the north face
  • the north face daypack
  • the north face fleece
  • the north face puffer
  • the north face raincoat
  • the north face sale
  • the north face vest
  • thenorthface

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among waterproof jacket brands

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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