Hint vs Polar:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Hint had more branded searches than Polar among sparkling water brands in the United States. Hint had about 40,500 branded searches, while Polar had 27,100. Hint made up 7.8% of all sparkling water brand searches we track, and Polar accounted for 5.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about sparkling water brands, Polar appeared in three of the five answers and Hint in none.
Who do people search for more?
Hint, about 49% more searches than Polar
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Top sparkling water brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Polar was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Hint 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.
LaCroix1st
Polar2nd
San Pellegrino3rd- Bubly4th
Perrier5th
Spindrift6th
Waterloo7th
Sparkling Ice8th
Liquid Death–- Hint–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Spindrift3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- LaCroix3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- San Pellegrino3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Polar3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bubly3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Perrier2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Sparkling Ice1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Waterloo1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Liquid Death0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Hint0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about sparkling water brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which sparkling water should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best sparkling water brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What is the best tasting seltzer?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sparkling water”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“seltzer water”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 26, 2026.
Is Hint or Polar more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hint and Polar by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten sparkling water brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Hint, Polar. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Liquid Death | Spindrift | LaCroix | San Pellegrino | Hint | Sparkling Ice | Polar | Waterloo | Bubly | Perrier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 38.8% | 11.7% | 11.7% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 7.8% | 4.3% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 2.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 34.8% | 12.8% | 12.8% | 8.6% | 5.7% | 8.6% | 3.8% | 4.7% | 5.7% | 2.6% |
| Dec 2025 | 19.8% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 5.9% | 4% | 5.9% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 4.8% | 36% |
| Jan 2026 | 31.9% | 14.3% | 14.3% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 7.8% | 4.3% | 5.2% | 4.3% | 3.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 37.5% | 11.3% | 11.3% | 9.2% | 6.2% | 7.6% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 4.1% | 2.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 30.1% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 11% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 4% | 3.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 29.9% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 11% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 6% | 4.9% | 4% | 2.7% |
| May 2026 | 29.3% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 28.7% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 7% | 8.6% | 7% | 3.1% | 2.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 29.3% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| Aug 2026 | 32.7% | 12% | 12% | 8% | 6.6% | 8% | 5.4% | 9.8% | 2.9% | 2.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 31.9% | 14.3% | 11.7% | 9.6% | 7.8% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 2.9% |
How has the Hint and Polar comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Hint was ahead of Polar in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hint’s share of searches among sparkling water brands in the United States moved from 5.2% to 7.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 40.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Polar’s share of searches among sparkling water brands in the United States moved from 4.3% to 5.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 22.2K to 27.1K.
How did search popularity change for United States sparkling water brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Hint overtook Waterloo and Sparkling Ice to rank 5th among sparkling water brands in the United States, with 7.8% of the searches.
Polar’s share of searches among sparkling water brands in the United States has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 8.6% to 5.2% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hint’s and Polar’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.
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