Liquid Death vs smartwater:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Liquid Death had more branded searches than smartwater among bottled water brands in the United States. Liquid Death had about 165,000 branded searches, while smartwater had 40,500. Liquid Death made up 45.9% of all bottled water brand searches we track, and smartwater accounted for 11.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about bottled water brands, smartwater appeared in two of the five answers and Liquid Death in none.
Who do people search for more?
Liquid Death, about 4 searches for every 1 for smartwater
Who does AI mention more?
smartwater, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Liquid Death in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
smartwater, the only one of the two named
Follow Liquid Death vs smartwater 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 bottled water brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, smartwater was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Liquid Death 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.
Evian3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Fiji Water2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- smartwater2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Aquafina2 of 5Named in 2 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
Essentia0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Dasani0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Poland Spring0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about bottled water brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best bottled water brand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which bottled water tastes the best?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which bottled water is the healthiest?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“bottled water”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best bottled 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 27, 2026.
Is Liquid Death or smartwater more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Liquid Death and smartwater by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight bottled water brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Liquid Death, smartwater. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Liquid Death | Fiji Water | smartwater | Aquafina | Essentia | Dasani | Evian | Poland Spring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 48.3% | 17.8% | 9.7% | 8% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 4.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 45.9% | 16.8% | 9.2% | 11.3% | 5% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 5% |
| Dec 2025 | 40.5% | 18.2% | 12.2% | 9.9% | 6.7% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 42% | 15.4% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 6.9% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 5.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 51% | 15.3% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 5.6% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 43.3% | 15.9% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 4.7% |
| Apr 2026 | 43.3% | 15.9% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 4.7% | 3.9% |
| May 2026 | 43.3% | 19.4% | 10.6% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 3.2% | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 44.5% | 16.3% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 7.3% | 3.3% | 4.9% | 4% |
| Jul 2026 | 43.8% | 16.1% | 13.1% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 3.2% | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 47.8% | 14.4% | 11.8% | 9.6% | 6.4% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 45.9% | 13.8% | 11.3% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 4.1% |
How has the Liquid Death and smartwater comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Liquid Death was ahead of smartwater in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Liquid Death’s share of searches among bottled water brands in the United States moved from 48.3% to 45.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 201K to 165K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, smartwater’s share of searches among bottled water brands in the United States moved from 9.7% to 11.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 40.5K.
How did search popularity change for United States bottled water brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Liquid Death lost share of searches among bottled water brands in the United States, from 47.8% to 45.9%.
In September 2026, smartwater lost share of searches among bottled water brands in the United States, from 11.8% to 11.3%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Liquid Death’s and smartwater’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.
Liquid Death
1 branded search term
- liquid death
smartwater
1 branded search term
- smartwater
Other head-to-heads among bottled water 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.