Bowden's Own vs Chemical Guys:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Chemical Guys had more branded searches than Bowden's Own among car care brands in New Zealand. Chemical Guys had about 680 branded searches, while Bowden's Own had 170. Chemical Guys made up 17.1% of all car care brand searches we track, and Bowden's Own accounted for 4.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about car care brands, Bowden's Own appeared in four of the five answers and Chemical Guys in two. Bowden's Own was mentioned before Chemical Guys in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Chemical Guys, about 4 searches for every 1 for Bowden's Own
Who does AI mention more?
Bowden's Own, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Chemical Guys in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Bowden's Own, named ahead of Chemical Guys in 3 of 3 answers
Follow Bowden's Own vs Chemical Guys and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top car care brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Bowden's Own was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Chemical Guys was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Bowden's Own was listed before Chemical Guys in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Meguiar's1st
Turtle Wax2nd
Bowden's Own3rd
Autoglym4th
Chemical Guys5th
Gyeon–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Turtle Wax5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Meguiar's4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Bowden's Own4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Autoglym3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Chemical Guys2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Gyeon0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about car care brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which car care brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best car care brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best car care brand in New Zealand for clean paintwork?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best car polish”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“car wash products nz”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.
Is Bowden's Own or Chemical Guys more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Bowden's Own and Chemical Guys by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven car care brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Chemical Guys, Bowden's Own. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Meguiar's | Chemical Guys | Turtle Wax | Autoglym | Gyeon | Bowden's Own |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 43.5% | 18.4% | 9.4% | 8.8% | 4.6% | 2.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 49.8% | 17.8% | 8.3% | 8% | 3.4% | 2% |
| Dec 2025 | 46.3% | 16.7% | 10.1% | 9.6% | 3.1% | 2.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 42.6% | 17.1% | 10.1% | 9.9% | 4% | 2.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 47.5% | 15.8% | 9.4% | 9.1% | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 44.2% | 17.9% | 9.4% | 10.1% | 4.7% | 2% |
| Apr 2026 | 46.8% | 18.5% | 8.9% | 8.7% | 4% | 2.1% |
| May 2026 | 51.5% | 15.3% | 9.1% | 7.1% | 3% | 2.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 53.2% | 15.4% | 9.2% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 2.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 53.7% | 12.3% | 9.2% | 6.6% | 5.5% | 2.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 49% | 13.4% | 11.1% | 8.5% | 3.5% | 2.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 52.8% | 17.1% | 11.8% | 8.5% | 5.5% | 4.3% |
How has the Bowden's Own and Chemical Guys comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Chemical Guys was ahead of Bowden's Own in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bowden's Own’s share of searches among car care brands in New Zealand moved from 2.1% to 4.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90 to 170.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chemical Guys’ share of searches among car care brands in New Zealand moved from 18.4% to 17.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 800 to 680.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand car care brands in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Chemical Guys gained share of searches among car care brands in New Zealand, from 13.4% to 17.1%.

In September 2026, Bowden's Own gained share of searches among car care brands in New Zealand, from 2.5% to 4.3%.
How are branded searches counted?
7 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bowden's Own’s and Chemical Guys’ 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.
Bowden's Own
1 branded search term
- bowdens own
Chemical Guys
6 branded search terms
- chemical guys
- chemical guys detailing
- chemical guys polish
- chemical guys vrp
- chemicalguys
- chemicalguys polish
Other head-to-heads among car care brands

Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.