--- title: "Icebreaker vs Thorlo: Which is searched more in New Zealand?" description: "Is Icebreaker or Thorlo more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Sock 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/compare/icebreaker-vs-thorlo" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Icebreaker vs Thorlo: Which is searched more in New Zealand? Is Icebreaker or Thorlo more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Sock 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**: Icebreaker and Thorlo - **Competitive set**: Sock brands - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Icebreaker Share of Search**: 3% - **Thorlo Share of Search**: 2.4% ## Is Icebreaker or Thorlo more popular in search? - In September 2026, Icebreaker had more branded searches than Thorlo among sock brands in New Zealand. Icebreaker had about 260 branded searches, while Thorlo had 210. Icebreaker made up 3% of all sock brand searches we track, and Thorlo accounted for 2.4%. - The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Thorlo took it in November 2025, Icebreaker took it in January 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Icebreaker’s share of searches among sock brands in New Zealand moved from 3.5% to 3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 260. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Thorlo’s share of searches among sock brands in New Zealand moved from 2.9% to 2.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 210. ## Top sock brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Icebreaker was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Thorlo 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Norsewear | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Icebreaker | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | NZ Sock Company | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | The Wool Company | 4th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Darn Tough | 5th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Norsewood | 6th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Smartwool | 7th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Stance | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Happy Socks | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Thorlo | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Lorpen | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about sock brands - Asked ChatGPT "Which sock brand should I buy in New Zealand?": 1. NZ Sock Company, 2. Norsewear, 3. Icebreaker, 4. Norsewood - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best sock brands in New Zealand?": 1. NZ Sock Company, 2. Norsewear, 3. Icebreaker, 4. The Wool Company, 5. Darn Tough, 6. Smartwool - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best sock brand in New Zealand for everyday wear?": 1. Icebreaker, 2. Norsewear - Searched Google, AI Overview "comfortable socks": 1. Norsewear - Searched Google, AI Overview "merino socks nz": 1. Norsewear, 2. The Wool Company Not named in any answer: Stance, Happy Socks, Thorlo and Lorpen. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand sock brands in September 2026? - In September 2026, Stance overtook Icebreaker to rank 7th among sock brands in New Zealand, with 4.5% of the searches. - In September 2026, Thorlo gained share of searches among sock brands in New Zealand, from 1.9% to 2.4%. - In September 2026, Icebreaker lost share of searches among sock brands in New Zealand, from 4.2% to 3%. ## Month by month | Month | Icebreaker estimated searches | Icebreaker Share of Search | Icebreaker rank | Thorlo estimated searches | Thorlo Share of Search | Thorlo rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 260 | 3.5% | 9 | 210 | 2.9% | 10 | | Nov 2025 | 260 | 1.7% | 10 | 320 | 2.1% | 9 | | Dec 2025 | 260 | 3.1% | 9 | 260 | 3.1% | 10 | | Jan 2026 | 320 | 3.8% | 7 | 210 | 2.5% | 9 | | Feb 2026 | 260 | 3.2% | 8 | 140 | 1.7% | 10 | | Mar 2026 | 390 | 4.2% | 7 | 210 | 2.3% | 10 | | Apr 2026 | 480 | 4.2% | 7 | 210 | 1.9% | 9 | | May 2026 | 480 | 3.3% | 7 | 210 | 1.4% | 10 | | Jun 2026 | 480 | 3.6% | 8 | 210 | 1.6% | 10 | | Jul 2026 | 480 | 3.6% | 7 | 170 | 1.3% | 10 | | Aug 2026 | 480 | 4.2% | 7 | 210 | 1.9% | 10 | | Sep 2026 | 260 | 3% | 8 | 210 | 2.4% | 10 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Icebreaker’s and Thorlo’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. - **Icebreaker**: Measured on the search term “icebreaker merino”. - **Thorlo**: Measured on the search term “thorlo socks”. - [Icebreaker profile](/demand/nz/brands/icebreaker) - [Thorlo profile](/demand/nz/brands/thorlo) - [All sock brands in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-sock-brands): The set both shares are measured inside, 11 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 Icebreaker or Thorlo more popular in search? In September 2026, Icebreaker had more branded searches than Thorlo among sock brands in New Zealand. Icebreaker had about 260 branded searches, while Thorlo had 210. Icebreaker made up 3% of all sock brand searches we track, and Thorlo accounted for 2.4%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Icebreaker vs Thorlo: Which is searched more in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/icebreaker-vs-thorlo This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/icebreaker-vs-thorlo. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.