---
title: "Kodiak bear vs polar bear — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Kodiak bear and polar bear are near enough identical on weight. Compared on 4 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/kodiak-bear-vs-polar-bear/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Kodiak bear vs Polar bear

**Kodiak bear vs polar bear: Near enough equal on weight**

Kodiak bear and polar bear are near enough identical on weight.

A Kodiak bear and a polar bear can be compared on 4 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.*

|  | Kodiak bear | Polar bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 180–680 kg | 150–700 kg |
| Height | 1.3 m | 1–1.6 m |
| Length | 2–2.8 m | 1.8–3 m |
| Typical lifespan | 20–34 yr | 20–32 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Kodiak bear and polar bear are near enough identical on weight.
- Kodiak bear and polar bear are near enough identical on height.
- Kodiak bear and polar bear are near enough identical on length.
- Kodiak bear and polar bear are near enough identical on typical lifespan.

*Weight compared.*

- Kodiak bear: 180–680 kg
- Polar bear: 150–700 kg

## Kodiak bear

The largest brown bear subspecies, restricted to the Kodiak Archipelago in Alaska.

## 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, Kodiak bear or polar bear?

Kodiak bear and polar bear are near enough identical on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

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

Kodiak bear: 1.3 m. Polar bear: 1–1.6 m. Kodiak bear and polar bear are near enough identical on height.

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

Kodiak bear: 2–2.8 m. Polar bear: 1.8–3 m. Kodiak bear and polar bear are near enough identical on length.

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## Sources

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