Ideal Weight Calculator
Find your ideal body weight based on height and gender.
Results
Average Ideal Weight
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About Ideal Weight Calculation
Ideal body weight calculators use your height and gender to estimate a healthy weight range. Multiple formulas are used to provide a range rather than a single number.
These formulas were originally developed for medical use to help determine appropriate drug dosages. They remain useful as general guidelines for healthy weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ideal body weight?
Ideal body weight (IBW) is the weight that is considered healthy for a person based on their height and gender. It is used as a general guide, though individual factors like muscle mass are not considered.
Why are there different formulas?
Different formulas were developed at different times using different study populations. Robinson, Miller, Devine, and Hamwi are the most commonly used formulas, each with slightly different results.
Is IBW the same as healthy weight?
IBW is a screening tool, not a definitive measure of health. Factors like muscle mass, bone density, age, and overall body composition are not accounted for in these formulas.
Overview
An ideal weight calculator estimates the body weight associated with the lowest average health risk for a given height and frame. The result is a range, not a single number: two people of the same height and sex can both be 'at ideal weight' while weighing 8 to 10 kg apart, because muscle, bone density, frame size, and body composition all vary. The CDC and the NIH treat ideal weight ranges as a screening tool, alongside BMI, body fat percentage, and waist circumference, rather than as a prescription.
Several formulas exist, and they give different numbers because they were developed for different purposes. The Devine formula, published in 1974, was originally designed to estimate drug dosing for adults and is now the most widely used 'ideal body weight' formula in clinical practice. The Robinson formula (1983), the Miller formula (1983), and the Hamwi formula (1964) were each developed to give slightly different reference points; the calculator below can return several of them side by side for comparison. A BMI-based range, calculated as 18.5 to 24.9 times height squared, is the most modern approach and matches the WHO classification system.
For most adults, the 'healthy weight' BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m² is the most useful reference. For a person 170 cm tall, that works out to roughly 53.5 to 71.7 kg. The Devine formula returns a single midpoint (about 65 kg for a 170 cm man and 60 kg for a 170 cm woman), which is convenient but does not capture the full range. Where a person actually lands on the range depends on frame size, muscle mass, and ethnicity: the WHO and NIH note that some Asian populations have higher cardiometabolic risk at lower BMI values, and lower thresholds may apply.
The biggest caveat: ideal weight formulas are population averages, not personal targets. A serious weightlifter at 90 kg and a sedentary person at 90 kg with the same height have radically different body compositions and health profiles. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend using ideal weight ranges as a reference, then layering in body fat percentage, waist circumference, blood pressure, and blood work to get a fuller picture. Ideal weight is a starting point for a conversation, not the final answer.
How to use
- Enter sex, age, and height in centimeters or feet/inches.
- Optionally add frame size (small, medium, large wrist measurement) to refine the Devine-formula range.
- Submit to see the ideal body weight from Devine, Robinson, Miller, and Hamwi formulas, plus the WHO BMI-based healthy range.
- Compare the result with current weight and body fat percentage to see how close the actual weight is to the range.
Formula
Interpreting your results
A result that lands in the middle of the BMI 18.5 to 24.9 range is associated with the lowest average risk for weight-related conditions in large population studies. A result at the high end of the Devine formula or above does not automatically mean a person is unhealthy, especially if body composition and waist circumference are favorable. The CDC's adult weight guidelines and the NIH's Body Weight Planner both use BMI ranges rather than single-point ideal weights because the range is more useful clinically. For athletes, the right comparison is usually body fat percentage and performance metrics, not the IBW number.