Ideal Weight Calculator: What Is a Healthy Weight for My Height?

How to use the ideal weight calculator

1. 1

   Choose your sex

   Each formula has a separate version for men and women.

2. 2

   Enter your height

   The formulas work per inch over 5 feet (152.4 cm), so they were written for adults at least that tall.

3. 3

   Compare the four formulas

   Each gives one number. The spread between the lowest and highest is a more honest answer than any one of them.

4. 4

   Check the healthy BMI range

   This is the weight range that keeps your BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 at your height.

How is ideal body weight calculated?

Ideal body weight is calculated from a base weight at 5 feet tall plus a fixed amount for every inch above that. The four formulas differ only in those two numbers:

• Devine: men 50 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 ft; women 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg per inch.
• Robinson: men 52 kg + 1.9 kg per inch; women 49 kg + 1.7 kg per inch.
• Miller: men 56.2 kg + 1.41 kg per inch; women 53.1 kg + 1.36 kg per inch.
• Hamwi: men 48 kg + 2.7 kg per inch; women 45.5 kg + 2.2 kg per inch.
• Healthy BMI range: 18.5 × height in m² to 24.9 × height in m².

Example: a man who is 180 cm (about 5 ft 11 in) is 10.9 inches over 5 feet. Devine gives 75.0 kg, Robinson 72.6 kg, Miller 71.5 kg and Hamwi 77.3 kg, roughly 158 to 170 lb. His healthy BMI range is 59.9 to 80.7 kg (1.8 × 1.8 = 3.24, times 18.5 and 24.9).

What is a healthy weight for my height?

A healthy weight for your height is usually defined as any weight that puts your BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, the World Health Organization’s normal range. For a woman who is 165 cm, that is about 50.4 to 67.8 kg, while the four ideal weight formulas land between 56.4 and 59.8 kg.

The BMI range is wide on purpose. It covers people with very different builds, and it is a better way to think about weight than one exact number. For more detail on the categories, use the BMI calculator.

Is ideal weight accurate for muscular people?

No. An ideal weight calculator only uses height and sex, so anyone who carries a lot of muscle will usually come out “above” their ideal weight even when they are lean. The same is true for the BMI range.

The formulas also have a narrow history. Devine was created to estimate medication doses, not to set a goal weight, and the others were later attempts to refine it. For people who lift, body fat percentage tells you more, and the body fat calculator and lean body mass calculator are better tools for setting a goal.

How coaches use ideal weight with clients

Personal trainers and online coaches rarely give a client an ideal weight as a goal. It is more useful as context: a quick sanity check when a client names a target that is far below the healthy BMI range, or a way to show a beginner that a range of weights can be healthy.

• Use a range, not a number. Show the spread between the formulas and the BMI range, and agree on a goal the client can keep.
• Set behavior targets. Daily calories, protein and training sessions are things a client controls. The scale follows them.
• Judge progress on more than weight. Progress photos, measurements and strength often show change when the scale stalls.

On the Coach+ coaching platform, you build meal plans with calorie and macro targets, clients log food and workouts in your branded app, and weekly check-ins with progress photos show whether they are moving toward a healthy weight. The AI assistant can draft training programs and meal plans for you to review before they go out.

Frequently asked questions