How to use the ideal weight calculator
- Choose Male or Female, because the formulas use different numbers for each.
- Pick US (ft, in) or Metric (cm) and enter your Height. Your height converts when you switch.
- Set Frame size. If you are unsure, leave Medium.
- Read the range and the table, and switch the results between lb and kg. They update as you type.
How ideal weight is calculated
Four clinical formulas estimate ideal body weight from height and sex. Each starts at 5 feet (60 inches) and adds a fixed amount for every inch above it. They land within a few pounds of each other because they trace back to the same height and weight tables, as Pai and Paloucek (2000) describe.
- Devine (1974): men 50 kg plus 2.3 kg per inch over 5 ft, women 45.5 kg plus 2.3 kg.
- Robinson (1983): men 52 kg plus 1.9 kg, women 49 kg plus 1.7 kg.
- Miller (1983): men 56.2 kg plus 1.41 kg, women 53.1 kg plus 1.36 kg.
- Hamwi (1964): men 106 lb plus 6 lb per inch over 5 ft, women 100 lb plus 5 lb, then minus 10 percent for a small frame or plus 10 percent for a large one. Only Hamwi has a frame adjustment.
The last table row is the weight range for a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9, the CDC's healthy weight category. It is rounded inward to whole pounds or tenths of a kilogram, matching our BMI calculator. The headline range spans only the four formulas.
Worked example
With the starting inputs, a man 5 ft 10 in tall with a medium frame, the height is 10 inches over 60. Devine gives 50 + 2.3 × 10 = 73.0 kg, or 160.9 lb. Robinson gives 52 + 1.9 × 10 = 71.0 kg (156.5 lb), and Miller gives 56.2 + 1.41 × 10 = 70.3 kg (155.0 lb). Hamwi gives 106 + 6 × 10 = 166 lb (75.3 kg). The headline reads 155.0 to 166.0 lb, and the BMI row reads 129 to 173 lb.
Limits and edge cases
These formulas were built mostly for drug dosing, ignore age, muscle and bone density, and are for adults only. A muscular person can weigh more than every row and be healthy, so pair this with the body fat calculator.
The calculator accepts heights from 4 ft 6 in to 8 ft (137 to 244 cm). Below 5 ft the formulas run backward from their starting point and read low, so lean on the BMI row. If you plan to change your weight, the weight loss calculator turns a goal into a calorie target, and a clinician can set a goal that fits your health.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ideal weight for my height?
It depends on your sex and on which formula you use. A man 5 ft 10 in tall gets 155.0 to 166.0 lb from the four formulas, while the healthy BMI range at that height is 129 to 173 lb. Enter your own height to see your numbers.
Which ideal body weight formula is most accurate?
None is clearly best. A 2000 review found the equations similar because they come from the same height and weight tables. Devine is the most widely used in clinical dosing, so comparing all four, as this calculator does, gives a more honest range than any single number.
Does frame size change my ideal weight?
Only in the Hamwi formula, which subtracts 10 percent for a small frame and adds 10 percent for a large frame. Devine, Robinson and Miller have no frame term, so this calculator leaves them unchanged. If you are unsure of your frame, keep Medium.
Is ideal weight the same as a healthy weight?
No. The formulas give one narrow estimate from height and sex alone, while the CDC healthy weight range covers a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. Neither measures muscle, fat distribution or fitness, so treat both as reference points and not as goals.
Sources: Pai and Paloucek, Ann Pharmacother 2000;34:1066-9; CDC, Adult BMI Categories.