Banana Boat vs Nivea:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Banana Boat had more branded searches than Nivea among sunscreen brands in the United Kingdom. Banana Boat had about 5,400 branded searches, while Nivea had 2,900. Banana Boat made up 8.3% of all sunscreen brand searches we track, and Nivea accounted for 4.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about sunscreen brands, Nivea appeared in three of the five answers and Banana Boat in none.
Who do people search for more?
Banana Boat, about 86% more searches than Nivea
Who does AI mention more?
Nivea, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Banana Boat in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Nivea, the only one of the two named
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Top sunscreen brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Nivea was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Banana Boat 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.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
La Roche-Posay4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Altruist3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Nivea3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Ambre Solaire2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Ultrasun1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Soltan1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Banana Boat0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
P200 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Piz Buin0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Hawaiian Tropic0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about sunscreen brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which sun cream should I buy in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best sun cream brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What is the best SPF 50 sun cream for your face?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sun cream”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sunscreen”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 26, 2026.
Is Banana Boat or Nivea more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Banana Boat and Nivea by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 14 sunscreen brands we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Banana Boat, Nivea. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | La Roche-Posay | Banana Boat | P20 | Piz Buin | Altruist | Ultrasun | Hawaiian Tropic | Nivea | Ultra Violette | Bondi Sands | Heliocare | Ambre Solaire | Supergoop! | Soltan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 25.5% | 17% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 3.3% | 7.6% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 5% | 2.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 36.2% | 10.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 3.8% | 3.2% | 7.2% | 3.8% | 4.8% | 2.9% | 5.8% | 2.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 34.9% | 12.7% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.1% | 5.7% | 2.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.4% | 11.1% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 4.9% | 4% | 4% | 3.4% | 4.9% | 2.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.8% | 8.5% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 4.5% | 3.8% | 4.5% | 3.2% | 4.5% | 2.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 35.9% | 5.9% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 3.1% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.8% | 4.8% | 2.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.3% | 4.1% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 9.1% | 7.5% | 3.3% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 4.1% | 3% | 3.3% | 2.8% |
| May 2026 | 30.3% | 3.3% | 11.1% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 5% | 5% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.9% | 2.7% | 3.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 29.7% | 4% | 13.3% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 7.3% | 4% | 5.9% | 2.2% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 3.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 28.3% | 4.6% | 12.7% | 8.5% | 10.4% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 4.2% | 2.5% | 3.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 29% | 7.1% | 10.6% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 3.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 34.1% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.6% |
How has the Banana Boat and Nivea comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Nivea took it in April 2026, Banana Boat took it in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Banana Boat’s share of searches among sunscreen brands in the United Kingdom moved from 17% to 8.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.9K to 5.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nivea’s share of searches among sunscreen brands in the United Kingdom moved from 3.3% to 4.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.9K to 2.9K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom sunscreen brands in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Banana Boat overtook P20 and 2 others to rank 2nd among sunscreen brands in the United Kingdom, with 8.3% of the searches.

Estimated monthly branded searches for Nivea in the United Kingdom rose 52.6% over 12 measured months, from 1.9K to 2.9K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Banana Boat’s and Nivea’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.
Banana Boat
1 branded search term
- banana boat
Nivea
1 branded search term
- nivea sun
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