---
title: "moose vs polar bear — size, speed and bite force"
description: "moose and polar bear compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle an encounter."
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/moose-vs-polar-bear/
site: "At One Place"
---

# moose vs polar bear

**moose vs polar bear: moose leads on 4 of 5 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The largest deer; called elk in Europe, which is a different animal in North America. The largest living land carnivore, classified as a marine mammal because it hunts from sea ice. On the measurements below, moose leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.

## The measurements

|  | moose | polar bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 200–720 kg | 150–700 kg |
| Length | 2.4–3.1 m | 1.8–3 m |
| Height | 1.4–2.1 m | 1–1.6 m |
| Top speed | 56 km/h | 40 km/h |
| Bite force | — | 1,200 psi |
| Lifespan | 15–25 yr | 20–32 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: moose is 1.1× heavier.
- Length: moose is 1.1× longer.
- Height: moose is 1.5× taller.
- Top speed: moose is 1.4× faster.
- Lifespan: polar bear is 1.4× a longer life.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a moose bigger than a polar bear?

moose is heavier — 200–720 kg against 150–700 kg.

### Who would win, a moose or a polar bear?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a moose weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/moose/)
- [How much does a polar bear weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/polar-bear/)
- [lion vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-polar-bear/)
- [lion vs moose](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-moose/)
- [leopard vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-polar-bear/)
- [leopard vs moose](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-moose/)
- [jaguar vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-polar-bear/)
- [jaguar vs moose](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-moose/)
- [cheetah vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-polar-bear/)
- [cheetah vs moose](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-moose/)
- [cougar vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-polar-bear/)
- [cougar vs moose](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-moose/)
- [domestic cat vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-polar-bear/)
- [domestic cat vs moose](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-moose/)

## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)