Calculate ideal weight for your height in pounds and kilograms from four standard formulas, or check your BMI and healthy weight range.
Height and Weight Formula
This calculator works in two modes. The historical estimate mode compares four named formulas from your height and the sex used by those formulas; their average is not a recommended target weight. The BMI mode checks your current weight against the healthy range for your height.
Historical weight estimates (H is height in total inches; Devine, rounded Robinson and rounded Miller results are in kilograms):
Devine (male) = 50.0 + 2.3 * (H - 60) Devine (female) = 45.5 + 2.3 * (H - 60) Robinson (male) = 52 + 1.9 * (H - 60) Robinson (female) = 49 + 1.7 * (H - 60) Miller (male) = 56.2 + 1.41 * (H - 60) Miller (female) = 53.1 + 1.36 * (H - 60) Hamwi (male, lb) = 106 + 6 * (H - 60) Hamwi (female, lb) = 100 + 5 * (H - 60) Hamwi (kg) = Hamwi (lb) * 0.45359237 Optional frame comparison applies only to Hamwi: multiply by 0.9, 1 or 1.1.
Body mass index and the healthy weight range (H in meters, W in kilograms):
BMI = W / (H * H) BMI reference weight interval = 18.5 * H * H to below 25 * H * H
- H: your height. The ideal weight formulas use height in inches above 5 feet (60 inches). BMI uses height in meters.
- W: your body weight in kilograms.
- BMI: body mass index, the ratio of weight to height squared.
- 18.5 and 25: the adult healthy-weight BMI interval is 18.5 inclusive to 25 exclusive. Categories use the unrounded BMI.
The ideal weight formulas all share the same shape: a base weight at 5 feet plus a fixed amount for every inch above that. They differ only in the base and the per-inch figure, which is why the calculator reports all four plus their average. This calculator does not extrapolate the historical formulas below 5 feet. The optional traditional frame comparison adjusts Hamwi alone; it does not change the other formulas or their unadjusted average. The BMI mode does not need your sex because the BMI thresholds are the same for adult men and women.
Healthy Weight and BMI Reference Ranges
BMI sorts adults into four standard categories. For adults age 20 and older, the calculator uses the unrounded BMI for these screening categories. Pregnancy and individual clinical factors require separate interpretation.
| BMI | Category |
|---|---|
| Below 18.5 | Underweight |
| 18.5 to below 25 | Healthy weight |
| 25 to below 30 | Overweight |
| 30.0 and above | Obese |
The approximate whole-number weight ranges below use BMI 18.5 to 24.9 for a familiar reference table. The calculator instead uses the exact category interval 18.5 to below 25 and shows its excluded upper boundary; small differences from this rounded table are expected.
| Height | Healthy weight (lb) | Healthy weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 0 in (152 cm) | 95 to 128 | 43 to 58 |
| 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | 108 to 145 | 49 to 66 |
| 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | 122 to 164 | 55 to 74 |
| 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | 137 to 184 | 62 to 84 |
| 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | 153 to 205 | 69 to 93 |
Example Problems
Example 1: Ideal weight for a man who is 5 ft 10 in. A height of 5 ft 10 in is 70 inches, which is 10 inches above 60. The Devine estimate is 50.0 + 2.3 * 10 = 73.0 kg, or about 161 lb. The Robinson estimate is 52 + 1.9 * 10 = 71.0 kg, about 157 lb. With original-pound Hamwi, the unadjusted average is about 72.4 kg (159.6 lb). The BMI reference interval is about 129 lb to below 174 lb; rounded values do not define category boundaries.
Example 2: BMI for a woman who is 5 ft 4 in and weighs 150 lb. Convert weight to kilograms: 150 / 2.2046 = 68.0 kg. Convert height to meters: 64 inches * 0.0254 = 1.626 m. BMI = 68.0 / (1.626 * 1.626) = 25.7, which falls in the overweight category. The healthy range for this height is roughly 108 lb to 145 lb, but this comparison alone does not establish a personal weight target.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which ideal weight formula should I trust? No single formula is correct for everyone. They were built decades ago from population averages, mostly for medication dosing and insurance tables, so they ignore muscle mass and build. The calculator shows all four and their average so you can see the spread rather than rely on one number. BMI is also a screening measure, not a diagnosis or personal prescription. Discuss interpretation with a qualified healthcare professional.
Why does the ideal weight mode ask for my sex but the BMI mode does not? The ideal weight formulas use different base weights for men and women, so sex changes the result. BMI uses the same thresholds for all adults, so it only needs your height and weight.
Is BMI accurate for athletes or older adults? Not always. BMI cannot tell muscle from fat, so a muscular person can read as overweight while having low body fat. It can also underestimate body fat in older adults who have lost muscle. Use BMI as a screening tool and talk to a healthcare professional before acting on the number.
