Ideal Weight Calculator
See your ideal weight range across four proven formulas.
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Ideal body weight is a height-based estimate of what a person of your stature is expected to weigh. It was first developed so doctors could dose medication by frame size rather than scale weight, and it is now a common reference for setting a healthy weight goal. This calculator takes your height and sex and computes four of the most widely used ideal weight formulas at once: Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi. Instead of one number it gives you a sensible range, plus the average across all four, so you can see where you sit rather than chase a single figure.
How ideal weight is calculated
All four formulas share the same shape. Each starts with a base weight for the first 5 feet (152 cm) of height, then adds a fixed amount for every inch above that. They differ only in the base value and the per-inch increment, and each uses a lower base for women than for men. Devine, the version most familiar from clinical use, adds 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet on top of a 50 kg base for men and 45.5 kg for women. Robinson, Miller and Hamwi tweak those constants, which is why their results spread out by a few kilograms.
For example, a man who is 178 cm tall stands about 10 inches over 5 feet. Devine returns roughly 73 kg, Robinson about 71 kg, Miller about 70 kg and Hamwi about 75 kg, for an average near 72.5 kg. The formulas depend only on height and sex, so age, weight and body composition do not change the result.
How to read your range
No single formula is correct, so the spread between them is the useful part. The four numbers typically fall within about 5 kg of each other, and the average is a reasonable midpoint to anchor on. Hamwi tends to read highest and Miller lowest, so treat the gap as a healthy band rather than a hard line.
Because these equations use only height and sex, they share the same blind spot as BMI: they ignore muscle. A trained athlete can sit well above their ideal weight while carrying very little fat, and an inactive person can fall inside the range while carrying too much. Use the number as a starting point and check it against body fat percentage, waist measurement and how you feel.
Why ideal weight is a guide, not a target
These formulas were never meant to define the one weight you should be. They give a population average for your height, which is helpful for context but says nothing about your individual frame, bone density or training history. Aiming to land somewhere in the range is reasonable; treating the exact average as a pass or fail mark is not. Health markers such as blood pressure, strength and energy matter far more than matching a height-based estimate from the 1970s.
How to use
- 01
Enter height and sex
Switch units if needed and add your height.
- 02
Calculate
We compute four classic ideal-weight formulas at once.
- 03
Read the range
See the average target plus each individual formula in a table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ideal body weight is a height-based estimate originally used for medical dosing. It is a useful reference point, not a strict target.
No single formula is "correct". Looking at all four gives a sensible range rather than one number.
No. Like BMI, these formulas use only height and sex, so muscular people may sit above their "ideal" while being healthy.
Treat it as a guide. Body composition, health markers and how you feel matter more than hitting an exact number.
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Last reviewed June 2026 · Methodology & sources