How to use this ideal weight calculator
- Choose your units (feet and inches, or centimeters).
- Select your sex. The formulas use different starting weights for men and women.
- Enter your height. The results show each formula’s estimate, their average and the healthy BMI weight range.
- Compare the numbers. Treat the spread between them as the real answer, not any single value.
Ideal body weight formulas
All four formulas share one shape: a base weight at 5 feet plus a fixed amount for every inch above 5 feet.
IBW = a + b × (height in inches − 60)
- a
- base weight at 5 feet
- b
- weight added per inch over 5 feet
| Formula | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Devine (1974) | 50 kg + 2.3 kg/in | 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg/in |
| Robinson (1983) | 51.65 kg + 1.85 kg/in | 48.67 kg + 1.65 kg/in |
| Miller (1983) | 56.2 kg + 1.41 kg/in | 53.1 kg + 1.36 kg/in |
| Hamwi (1964) | 106 lb + 6 lb/in | 100 lb + 5 lb/in |
The Robinson coefficients are the ones published in the 1983 paper (often rounded to 52 + 1.9 kg for men and 49 + 1.7 kg for women). The Hamwi rule is usually stated in pounds, so it is applied in pounds here.
Worked example
A woman who is 5′ 5″ is 5 inches over 5 feet. Devine: 45.5 + 2.3 × 5 = 57 kg (126 lb). Robinson: 48.67 + 1.65 × 5 = 56.9 kg (125 lb). Miller: 53.1 + 1.36 × 5 = 59.9 kg (132 lb). Hamwi: 100 + 5 × 5 = 125 lb. The formulas span 125 lb to 132 lb, averaging 127 lb.
At the same height, the healthy BMI range (18.5 to 24.9) runs from 111 lb to 150 lb. All four formula results fall inside it.
Ideal weight chart for women
Weights in pounds, rounded to the nearest pound.
| Height | Devine | Robinson | Miller | Hamwi | Healthy BMI range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5′ 0″ | 100 | 107 | 117 | 100 | 95–128 |
| 5′ 1″ | 105 | 111 | 120 | 105 | 98–132 |
| 5′ 2″ | 110 | 115 | 123 | 110 | 101–136 |
| 5′ 3″ | 116 | 118 | 126 | 115 | 104–141 |
| 5′ 4″ | 121 | 122 | 129 | 120 | 108–145 |
| 5′ 5″ | 126 | 125 | 132 | 125 | 111–150 |
| 5′ 6″ | 131 | 129 | 135 | 130 | 115–154 |
| 5′ 7″ | 136 | 133 | 138 | 135 | 118–159 |
| 5′ 8″ | 141 | 136 | 141 | 140 | 122–164 |
| 5′ 9″ | 146 | 140 | 144 | 145 | 125–169 |
| 5′ 10″ | 151 | 144 | 147 | 150 | 129–174 |
| 5′ 11″ | 156 | 147 | 150 | 155 | 133–179 |
| 6′ 0″ | 161 | 151 | 153 | 160 | 136–184 |
| 6′ 1″ | 166 | 155 | 156 | 165 | 140–189 |
| 6′ 2″ | 171 | 158 | 159 | 170 | 144–194 |
| 6′ 3″ | 176 | 162 | 162 | 175 | 148–199 |
| 6′ 4″ | 181 | 166 | 165 | 180 | 152–205 |
Ideal weight chart for men
Weights in pounds, rounded to the nearest pound. The healthy BMI range is the same for men and women of the same height.
| Height | Devine | Robinson | Miller | Hamwi | Healthy BMI range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5′ 0″ | 110 | 114 | 124 | 106 | 95–128 |
| 5′ 1″ | 115 | 118 | 127 | 112 | 98–132 |
| 5′ 2″ | 120 | 122 | 130 | 118 | 101–136 |
| 5′ 3″ | 125 | 126 | 133 | 124 | 104–141 |
| 5′ 4″ | 131 | 130 | 136 | 130 | 108–145 |
| 5′ 5″ | 136 | 134 | 139 | 136 | 111–150 |
| 5′ 6″ | 141 | 138 | 143 | 142 | 115–154 |
| 5′ 7″ | 146 | 142 | 146 | 148 | 118–159 |
| 5′ 8″ | 151 | 146 | 149 | 154 | 122–164 |
| 5′ 9″ | 156 | 151 | 152 | 160 | 125–169 |
| 5′ 10″ | 161 | 155 | 155 | 166 | 129–174 |
| 5′ 11″ | 166 | 159 | 158 | 172 | 133–179 |
| 6′ 0″ | 171 | 163 | 161 | 178 | 136–184 |
| 6′ 1″ | 176 | 167 | 164 | 184 | 140–189 |
| 6′ 2″ | 181 | 171 | 167 | 190 | 144–194 |
| 6′ 3″ | 186 | 175 | 171 | 196 | 148–199 |
| 6′ 4″ | 191 | 179 | 174 | 202 | 152–205 |
Why these are estimates, not targets
The formulas come from height-weight tables; Robinson’s, for example, was fitted to Metropolitan Life Insurance Company tables. According to a 2000 review in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy, weights in those tables were found to correlate with mortality, which is how “desirable” or “ideal” weights got their name. Devine’s equations were later adopted because the way certain drugs behave in the body correlated with ideal body weight, and later regression-based formulas, such as Robinson’s, turned out very similar.
That history explains the limits:
- They use only height and sex. Age, frame size, muscle and where fat is carried are ignored.
- They give a point, not a range. Two people of the same height can both be healthy at weights well apart.
- They start at 5 feet. Below that height they give no meaningful answer (see below).
The healthy BMI range is a broader screening guide, but it has limits of its own; the BMI calculator explains them. For a measure that looks at body composition, try the body fat calculator.
Ideal weight for adults under 5 feet
Each formula begins at 5 feet, so none of them says what to do below it. Running the line backward gives weights that are too low: the Devine formula for a woman who is 4′ 8″ would be 45.5 − 2.3 × 4 = 36.3 kg (80 lb), a BMI of 17.9, which the CDC classifies as underweight. Rather than show a misleading number, this calculator gives adults under 5 feet the healthy BMI weight range for their height and suggests talking with a doctor or registered dietitian.
Using the result
A formula result is a talking point, not a goal you must hit. If your weight is outside the healthy BMI range or you are thinking about changing it, a health professional can help you set a realistic target. To see how many calories your body uses, try the BMR calculator and the calorie calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is my ideal weight for my height?
There is no single ideal weight. Formulas give one number for a height and sex: for a woman who is 5′ 5″, the four classic formulas give 125 lb to 132 lb. A healthy BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 at the same height covers a much wider band, 111 lb to 150 lb. Any weight in that band is classified as healthy for adults.
Which ideal body weight formula is the most accurate?
None is clearly best. A 2000 review in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy traced the formulas back to height-weight tables and concluded that they are similar because those tables broadly agreed, so any one of them may be used to estimate ideal body weight. This calculator shows all four so you can see how much they differ.
What is the Devine formula?
The Devine formula estimates ideal body weight as 50 kg plus 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet for men, and 45.5 kg plus 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet for women. It was published in 1974 and adopted for estimating drug doses, because the way certain drugs behave in the body was found to correlate with ideal body weight. For a 5′ 5″ woman it gives 57 kg, or 126 lb.
How do ideal weight formulas work if I am under 5 feet tall?
They are not designed for it. Every formula starts at 5 feet and adds weight per inch above that. Running one backward below 5 feet quickly gives very low numbers: the Devine formula for a woman who is 4′ 8″ would give 80 lb, a BMI of 17.9, which is underweight. For shorter adults, this calculator shows the healthy BMI range instead.
Is ideal body weight the same as a healthy weight?
Not exactly. Ideal body weight formulas give one number based only on height and sex. A healthy weight, as the CDC defines it for adults, is any weight that gives a BMI from 18.5 to just under 25, which is a range of about 38 lb at 5′ 5″. Muscle, frame size and age all affect what is healthy for you, so a doctor’s view matters more than any formula.
Why is the ideal weight for men higher than for women?
The formulas were fitted separately for men and women from height-weight tables, and every one of them starts men at a higher base weight. At 5′ 10″, for example, the four formulas give a man 155 lb to 166 lb. The healthy BMI range, by contrast, is the same for both sexes at the same height.