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Your ideal weight is best treated as a range, not one number. This calculator gives the healthy BMI range for your height (BMI 18.5 to 24.9) and four classic formulas: Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi. Enter your sex and height to compare them. They are estimates that ignore muscle, frame size and health.
Two different ideas sit behind an "ideal weight". The first is the weight range that gives a healthy BMI. The second is a family of formulas from the 1960s to 1980s that add a fixed number of kilograms for each inch of height above 5 feet.
A woman who is 165.1 cm (5 ft 5 in) tall is 5 inches over 5 feet.
The Devine, Robinson and Miller equations were created to help calculate drug doses, and Hamwi's rule of thumb was an earlier dietary guide. They were never designed to define a healthy weight for everyone, and none of them accounts for muscle, bone structure, age or health conditions. That is why this page puts the BMI-based range first and shows the formulas for comparison only.
All four formulas are written around height above 5 feet (152 cm). For people shorter than that the result is an extrapolation, so treat it with extra caution. The calculator accepts heights from 140 cm to 220 cm.
Each cell shows the lowest to highest result of the four formulas for that height.
| Height | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| 150 cm (4 ft 11 in) | 43 – 52 kg | 45 – 55 kg |
| 155 cm (5 ft 1 in) | 48 – 54 kg | 51 – 58 kg |
| 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) | 52 – 57 kg | 56 – 60 kg |
| 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) | 56 – 60 kg | 61 – 63 kg |
| 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) | 61 – 63 kg | 65 – 67 kg |
| 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | 64 – 66 kg | 69 – 72 kg |
| 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | 67 – 70 kg | 72 – 77 kg |
| 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | 71 – 75 kg | 74 – 83 kg |
| 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | 73 – 80 kg | 77 – 88 kg |
Compare with the healthy BMI range for the same height in our BMI calculator table.
There is no single ideal number. A healthy BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 spans a wide band of weights at any height, and the classic formulas give figures inside or near that band. A doctor can help you judge what is right for you.
None is proven best for health. They were built for other purposes, such as drug dosing, and they differ from each other by a few kilograms. We recommend looking at the healthy BMI range first and treating the formulas as a rough comparison.
Each one uses a different starting weight and a different amount per inch of height, and they came from different data and different decades. The gap between them shows that "ideal" weight is approximate.
No. Muscle, bone structure, age and health conditions are not included. Athletes and very muscular people can weigh more than these figures and be healthy. Our body fat calculator gives another view.
Not necessarily. A weight outside a calculator range is not a diagnosis, and a healthy weight for you depends on much more than height. Speak to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing your weight on purpose.
They are built around height above 5 feet (152 cm), so for shorter or very tall people they extrapolate and are less reliable. The BMI-based range scales with height and is a steadier guide.
For information only, not medical advice. This calculator gives general estimates from the numbers you enter. It cannot diagnose, treat or prevent any condition and does not replace advice from a doctor, midwife, registered dietitian or other qualified professional who knows your history.
Written and maintained by the HealthFitnessHQ editorial team. We name the source of every formula and category used, and we review each calculator when guidance changes. Read how we work in our editorial policy and methodology.