---
title: "Grizzly bear vs polar bear — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Polar bear is 1.7× grizzly bear on weight. Compared on 6 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/grizzly-bear-vs-polar-bear/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Grizzly bear vs Polar bear

**Grizzly bear vs polar bear: Polar bear is larger on weight**

Polar bear is 1.7× grizzly bear on weight.

A grizzly bear and a polar bear can be compared on 6 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

## Side by side

*Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.*

|  | Grizzly bear | Polar bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 130–360 kg | 150–700 kg |
| Height | 0.9–1.1 m | 1–1.6 m |
| Length | 1.7–2.4 m | 1.8–3 m |
| Top speed | 56 km/h | 40 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 20–35 yr | 20–32 yr |
| Bite force | 975 psi | 1,200 psi |

## What the numbers say

- Polar bear is 1.7× grizzly bear on weight.
- Polar bear is somewhat greater than grizzly bear on height — about 1.3×.
- Polar bear is somewhat greater than grizzly bear on length — about 1.2×.
- Grizzly bear is somewhat greater than polar bear on top speed — about 1.4×.
- Grizzly bear and polar bear are near enough identical on typical lifespan.
- Polar bear is somewhat greater than grizzly bear on bite force — about 1.2×.

*Weight compared.*

- Polar bear: 150–700 kg
- Grizzly bear: 130–360 kg

## Grizzly bear

The inland North American brown bear, smaller than coastal populations because it eats less salmon.

## Polar bear

The largest living land carnivore, classified as a marine mammal because it hunts from sea ice.

> This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

## Common questions

### Which is bigger, grizzly bear or polar bear?

Polar bear is 1.7× grizzly bear on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do grizzly bears and polar bears compare on height?

Grizzly bear: 0.9–1.1 m. Polar bear: 1–1.6 m. Polar bear is somewhat greater than grizzly bear on height — about 1.3×.

### How do grizzly bears and polar bears compare on length?

Grizzly bear: 1.7–2.4 m. Polar bear: 1.8–3 m. Polar bear is somewhat greater than grizzly bear on length — about 1.2×.

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## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)