Size Parade

Bear size comparison

Polar bear, grizzly, black bear and giant panda next to a person, drawn to scale. Sizes from the National Park Service and zoos.

Bear size comparison: the tool

Made with the free height and size comparison tool

Add yourself

Famous people

    Reported heights, each with its source: league, tour and government pages, or the source Wikidata cites. Fan-site guesses are left out. How we pick them.

    Type the name and height, then pick a full-length photo cropped from head to feet. It never leaves your device.

    Kids by age

      Add a thing

      Differences

        Tap someone on the board to measure everyone against them. Drag figures sideways to reorder.

        Polar bear walking on the shore
        Photo: USFWSAlaska, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

        The sizes

        • Polar bear: 229 cm (7 ft 6 in) long, about 1.3 times an average US man's height (175 cm).
        • Giant panda: 152 cm (5 ft 0 in) long, about 87% of an average US man's height (175 cm).
        • Grizzly bear: 107 cm (3 ft 6 in) at the shoulder, about 61% of an average US man's height (175 cm).
        • American black bear: 91 cm (3 ft 0 in) at the shoulder, about 52% of an average US man's height (175 cm).
        WhatSizeSource
        Polar bear
        Head and body length, most are about 6 to 9 ft; value is the midpoint. Males may top 12 ft standing on hind legs.        		229 cm (7 ft 6 in) long
        range 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) to 274 cm (9 ft 0 in)        		San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
        Giant panda
        4 to 6 ft long; 2 to 3 ft at the shoulder. Values are midpoints.        		152 cm (5 ft 0 in) long
        range 122 cm (4 ft 0 in) to 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)        		Smithsonian's National Zoo
        Grizzly bear
        3 to 4 ft at the shoulder; value is the midpoint. About 8 ft standing upright.        		107 cm (3 ft 6 in) at the shoulder
        range 91 cm (3 ft 0 in) to 122 cm (4 ft 0 in)        		National Park Service (North Cascades)
        American black bear
        About 3 ft at the shoulder; 5 to 7 ft standing upright (secondary is the midpoint).        		91 cm (3 ft 0 in) at the shoulderNational Park Service

        Add anything else from the animal size comparison list on the right, or yourself. More on the animal size comparison page.

        Drawings are to scale on the measured dimension. The other proportions of each silhouette are approximate.

        Questions

        How much bigger is the polar bear than the giant panda?

        The polar bear is 229 cm (7 ft 6 in) long and the giant panda is 152 cm (5 ft 0 in), so about 1.5 times as long. Figures from the sources listed below.

        Which is the biggest on this page?

        Polar bear, at 229 cm (7 ft 6 in) long, from San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

        How big is the polar bear?

        Sources give 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) to 274 cm (9 ft 0 in). The board uses 229 cm (7 ft 6 in). Head and body length, most are about 6 to 9 ft; value is the midpoint. Males may top 12 ft standing on hind legs.

        How big is the grizzly bear?

        Sources give 91 cm (3 ft 0 in) to 122 cm (4 ft 0 in). The board uses 107 cm (3 ft 6 in). 3 to 4 ft at the shoulder; value is the midpoint. About 8 ft standing upright.

        How big is the giant panda?

        Sources give 122 cm (4 ft 0 in) to 183 cm (6 ft 0 in). The board uses 152 cm (5 ft 0 in). 4 to 6 ft long; 2 to 3 ft at the shoulder. Values are midpoints.

        Sources

        1. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Polar Bear (checked 2026-10-02)
        2. National Park Service (North Cascades): Grizzly Bears (checked 2026-10-02)
        3. National Park Service: Black Bears (checked 2026-10-02)
        4. Smithsonian's National Zoo: Giant panda (checked 2026-10-02)

        Last checked: 5 October 2026