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Ideal Weight Calculator

Ideal body weight for your height and sex with the Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi formulas and the healthy BMI weight range.

How much should you weigh for your height? There is no single perfect number, but several well-known formulas give a useful reference point. This ideal weight calculator shows the results of the four classic ideal body weight formulas — Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi — their average, and the healthy weight range for your height based on a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 24.9.

Enter your sex and height in centimetres or feet and inches. Add your current weight if you like, and the calculator tells you whether it is within the healthy BMI range or how far above or below it you are. Everything is calculated in your browser.

How to use Ideal Weight Calculator

  1. Choose your sex and metric or imperial units.
  2. Enter your height.
  3. Optionally enter your current weight.
  4. Compare the formula results, the average and the healthy BMI range.

Features

  • Four ideal body weight formulas side by side.
  • Average and spread across the formulas.
  • Healthy weight range for BMI 18.5–24.9 (WHO).
  • How far your current weight is from that range.
  • Metric and imperial units; your numbers stay out of the page address.
  • Runs in your browser; nothing is stored or sent.

The four formulas

All four start from a base weight at 5 feet (152.4 cm) and add a fixed amount for every inch above that. They were developed for different purposes — Devine's to dose medicines, the others as refinements — which is why their answers differ by a few kilograms.

FormulaMenWomen
Devine (1974)50 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 ft45.5 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 ft
Robinson (1983)52 kg + 1.9 kg per inch over 5 ft49 kg + 1.7 kg per inch over 5 ft
Miller (1983)56.2 kg + 1.41 kg per inch over 5 ft53.1 kg + 1.36 kg per inch over 5 ft
Hamwi (1964)48 kg + 2.7 kg per inch over 5 ft45.5 kg + 2.2 kg per inch over 5 ft

The healthy BMI range

Body mass index divides weight in kilograms by height in metres squared. The World Health Organization classes a BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 as a healthy weight for adults, so for any height there is a range of healthy weights rather than one number. For someone 175 cm tall that range is about 57 to 76 kg. The formulas above usually land inside this range, near its middle or lower half. The range is often the more useful guide, because it allows for differences in build.

Why ideal weight is only a guide

None of these formulas know how much of your weight is muscle, how broad your frame is, or where you carry fat. A muscular athlete can be well above every formula and very healthy; someone within the range can still carry too much fat around the waist. Age and ethnicity matter too: some health agencies use lower BMI cut-offs for people of South Asian, Chinese and other Asian backgrounds because health risks start at lower weights.

For a fuller picture, look at your waist measurement (a waist under half your height is a good sign) and your body fat percentage, and ask your doctor what is right for you.

Short and tall heights

The formulas were designed for adults of 5 feet (152 cm) and taller. Below that they subtract weight for every inch under 5 feet and quickly give unrealistic numbers, so the calculator tells you to use the BMI range instead. At very tall heights they also become less reliable. They are not meant for children and teenagers, whose healthy weight is judged with growth charts.

Frequently asked questions

What is my ideal weight?

Enter your height and sex: the calculator shows four formula results, their average and the healthy BMI range. A weight inside that range is generally considered healthy.

Which ideal weight formula is best?

None is clearly best. Devine is the most widely used in medicine; Robinson and Miller often fit today's populations a little better. The healthy BMI range is usually the most practical guide.

Why do the formulas give different results?

They were built from different data and for different purposes, so each adds a different amount per inch of height.

Does ideal weight depend on age?

The formulas don't include age. Many experts accept slightly higher weights in older adults, so ask your doctor about your situation.

I am very muscular. Do these numbers apply?

Not well. Muscle weighs more than fat for its size, so muscular people can be above the formulas and healthy. Body fat percentage is a better measure.

Is my data saved?

No. The calculation happens in your browser; your numbers are not sent anywhere or put in the page address.

Can children use this calculator?

No. Children's and teenagers' weight is judged with age- and sex-specific growth charts.

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