Pelican vs RTIC:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, RTIC had more branded searches than Pelican among cooler brands in the United States. RTIC had about 110,000 branded searches, while Pelican had 14,800. RTIC made up 19% of all cooler brand searches we track, and Pelican accounted for 2.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cooler brands, RTIC appeared in four of the five answers and Pelican in one. RTIC was mentioned before Pelican in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
RTIC, about 7 searches for every 1 for Pelican
Who does AI mention more?
RTIC, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Pelican in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
RTIC, named ahead of Pelican in every answer
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Top cooler brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, RTIC was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Pelican was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. RTIC was listed before Pelican in every answer.
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.
YETI5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- RTIC4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Igloo3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Coleman3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Engel1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Pelican1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Orca1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Dometic1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Stanley0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Grizzly0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about cooler brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which cooler should I buy?”
- 1YETI
- 1
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best cooler brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What cooler keeps ice the longest?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cooler”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best cooler”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 26, 2026.
Is Pelican or RTIC more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Pelican and RTIC by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten cooler brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for RTIC, Pelican. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | YETI | Igloo | RTIC | Engel | Coleman | Stanley | Grizzly | Pelican | Orca | Dometic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 46% | 16.9% | 16.9% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 0.82% |
| Nov 2025 | 48.5% | 11.9% | 21.7% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 0.71% |
| Dec 2025 | 52% | 12.8% | 19% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 4.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 45.7% | 13.7% | 20.5% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 5% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 0.8% |
| Feb 2026 | 41.3% | 15.1% | 22.6% | 5.5% | 3% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2% | 0.89% |
| Mar 2026 | 42.9% | 19.2% | 19.2% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.94% |
| Apr 2026 | 39.5% | 17.7% | 21.7% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 6.5% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 0.87% |
| May 2026 | 42.6% | 15.6% | 23.3% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 5.7% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.94% |
| Jun 2026 | 44.5% | 16.3% | 19.9% | 3.3% | 4% | 4% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 39.6% | 17.8% | 21.6% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.87% |
| Aug 2026 | 40.2% | 18% | 22% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 3% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 42.5% | 19% | 19% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 0.93% |
How has the Pelican and RTIC comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- RTIC was ahead of Pelican in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pelican’s share of searches among cooler brands in the United States moved from 2.8% to 2.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.1K to 14.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, RTIC’s share of searches among cooler brands in the United States moved from 16.9% to 19%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 74K to 110K.
How did search popularity change for United States cooler brands in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Igloo overtook RTIC to rank 2nd among cooler brands in the United States, with 19% of the searches.
In September 2026, RTIC lost share of searches among cooler brands in the United States, from 22% to 19%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Pelican in the United States rose 22.3% over 12 measured months, from 12.1K to 14.8K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Pelican’s and RTIC’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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