The short answer
Adult polar bears are typically 3.3 to 5 ft (1 to 1.5 m) tall at the shoulder on all fours, according to Polar Bears International, which also says they can stand 3 m (9 ft 10 in) tall and grow to 590 kg (about 1,300 lb). A large male standing up is about 4 ft 3 in taller than an average young man. The largest Kodiak bear males reach a similar size.
Open the free toolHow big is a polar bear? Shoulder height and standing height
A polar bear on all fours is typically 3.3 to 5 ft (1 to 1.5 m) tall at the shoulder. Polar Bears International points out that scientists usually describe how tall a bear is by measuring it at the shoulder while it stands on all fours. Height Studio draws an adult at the middle of that range, 4 ft 1 in (1.25 m).
Standing on its hind legs, a polar bear can reach 3 m (9 ft 10 in), the figure Polar Bears International gives together with a weight of up to 590 kg (about 1,300 lb). Treat it as the size of a big male, not an average bear. Height Studio shows this upright bear as a separate figure, labeled as a large male.
Keep the two measures apart when you compare. A shoulder height next to a standing height makes one bear look twice as big as the other, even when they are the same size.
Polar bear size comparison to a human
A large polar bear standing up is about 1.75 times as tall as an average young man. Height Studio’s reference man is 5 ft 7 in (170.8 cm), the world mean for 19-year-old men in the NCD-RisC height data, so the bear rises about 4 ft 3 in (1.29 m) above him.
A doorway makes it concrete. A standard US interior door is 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) tall, the shortest of the standard heights in Masonite’s door specifications. A standing polar bear at 9 ft 10 in would be about 3 ft 2 in (97 cm) taller than that door.
On all fours the bear is less imposing but still big: at the top of the typical range, 5 ft (1.5 m), its shoulder is only about 8 in (21 cm) below the top of an average young man’s head.
Polar bear vs grizzly bear size comparison
A big polar bear is taller than a typical grizzly, both on all fours and standing. The National Park Service in Yellowstone gives adult grizzlies about 3.5 ft (1.07 m) at the shoulder, in the lower half of the polar bear’s 3.3 to 5 ft range. Standing, a grizzly reaches about 8 ft (2.4 m) according to North Cascades National Park, about 2 ft (60 cm) less than a large standing polar bear.
The official weights point the same way: male grizzlies in Yellowstone weigh 200 to 700 lb (91 to 318 kg), while Polar Bears International says polar bears can grow to about 1,300 lb (590 kg).
Grizzlies are brown bears, and brown bears in general can come closer. The park service at Glacier Bay describes a brown bear at about 4 ft (1.22 m) at the shoulder and up to 9 ft (2.74 m) on its hind legs.
Kodiak bear vs polar bear: which is bigger?
The largest Kodiak and polar bear males are close in size, and the official numbers do not name a clear winner. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says a large male Kodiak can stand over 10 ft (3.05 m) on its hind legs and 5 ft (1.52 m) on all fours. Polar Bears International gives 3 m (9 ft 10 in) standing and up to 5 ft (1.5 m) at the shoulder for adult polar bears.
Both sets of numbers describe big animals, but not the same kind of figure. Height Studio draws the Kodiak at the large-male height of 5 ft and the polar bear at a typical 4 ft 1 in (1.25 m), which is why the Kodiak looks bigger in the drawing below. Compare like with like: a large male with a large male.
Bear size comparison chart: on all fours and standing
The table collects the shoulder and standing heights behind Height Studio’s bear figures. Standing heights usually describe large males:
| Bear | At the shoulder | Standing on hind legs | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polar bear | 3.3–5 ft (1–1.5 m) | 9 ft 10 in (3 m) | Polar Bears International |
| Kodiak bear, large male | 5 ft (1.52 m) | over 10 ft (3.05 m) | Alaska Department of Fish and Game |
| Brown bear | about 4 ft (1.22 m) | up to 9 ft (2.74 m) | National Park Service, Glacier Bay |
| Grizzly bear | about 3.5 ft (1.07 m) | about 8 ft (2.4 m) | National Park Service, Yellowstone and North Cascades |
| American black bear | about 3 ft (0.91 m) | 5–7 ft (1.52–2.13 m) | National Park Service, Yellowstone and Cedar Breaks |
| Sun bear | about 2 ft 4 in (70 cm) | not given | Animal Diversity Web |
| Giant short-faced bear (extinct) | nearly 4 ft 11 in (1.5 m) | about 11 ft 2 in (3.4 m) | Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre |
| Cave bear (extinct) | about 5 ft (1.52 m) | over 9 ft (2.74 m) | Grotte Chauvet |
Make your own polar bear size comparison
Open the bear size comparison
It opens with a person next to bears from the sun bear to the extinct giant short-faced bear, plus a polar bear standing up.
Add yourself
Open “Add person”, type your height (175 or 5′9″ both work) and press “Add to comparison”.
Measure
Tap the standing polar bear. The tool tells you how many times as tall as you it is and the difference in feet and inches or centimeters.
Share
Use “Share link” or “Save PNG”. The same method works in our guides on the blue whale, megalodon and the Maine Coon.
Questions you might still have
How tall is a polar bear standing up?
Polar Bears International says polar bears can stand 3 m (9 ft 10 in) tall. That describes big males; on all fours, adults are typically 3.3 to 5 ft (1 to 1.5 m) at the shoulder.
How big is a polar bear compared to a human?
Standing, a large male is about 1.75 times as tall as an average young man (5 ft 7 in / 170.8 cm) and about 3 ft 2 in taller than a standard 6 ft 8 in door. On all fours, its shoulder can come within 8 in of that man’s head.
Is a polar bear bigger than a grizzly bear?
Usually, yes. A grizzly is about 3.5 ft (1.07 m) at the shoulder and about 8 ft (2.4 m) standing, according to the National Park Service. A big polar bear reaches 5 ft at the shoulder and 9 ft 10 in standing.
Is a Kodiak bear bigger than a polar bear?
The largest males of both are similar. A large male Kodiak can stand over 10 ft (3.05 m) and is 5 ft (1.52 m) at the shoulder, according to Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game; polar bears reach 3 m (9 ft 10 in) standing.
How much does a polar bear weigh?
Polar Bears International says polar bears can grow to 590 kg (about 1,300 lb). That is an upper figure, not an average weight.
Why are bears measured at the shoulder?
Scientists usually give a bear’s height at the shoulder on all fours, as Polar Bears International explains. Standing heights look dramatic but depend on posture, so use them only to compare bears that are also standing.
Sources & useful details
- Polar Bears International: Polar bear facts
- Polar Bears International: 10 surprising facts about polar bears
- NCD-RisC: height data downloads (world mean of 19-year-olds)
- Masonite: door specifications by height (6′8″, 7′0″, 8′0″)
- National Park Service: Bear ecology, Yellowstone National Park
- National Park Service: Grizzly bears, North Cascades National Park
- National Park Service: Brown bear, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
- National Park Service: American black bear, Cedar Breaks National Monument
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game: Kodiak brown bear fact sheet
- Animal Diversity Web: Helarctos malayanus (sun bear)
- Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre: Giant short-faced bear
- Grotte Chauvet (Google Arts & Culture): The bears of Chauvet Cave
- LoschaZ Height Studio: bear size comparison
- LoschaZ guide: how big is a blue whale?
- LoschaZ guide: megalodon shark size comparison
- LoschaZ guide: Titanic size comparison
- LoschaZ guide: wolf spider size comparison
- LoschaZ guide: Maine Coon cat size comparison
- LoschaZ guide: Earth, Moon and Sun size comparison
These guides are written from the current LoschaZ tools and the sources listed above. Examples are illustrations, not tests on every device or promises of an identical result.
