Ideal Weight Calculator
Choose male or female and enter your height for your ideal body weight by four medical formulas (Devine, Hamwi, Robinson, Miller). A table below sets the same four figures side by side for men and women at that height, with the healthy BMI range, which is the same for both. Useful as a reference range, especially for medication dosing.
How to use the Ideal Weight Calculator
- Enter your numbers in the Ideal Weight Calculator above.
- Press the Calculate button to see the result.
- To try other numbers, change any value and press the button again.
The IBW formulas
Devine men: 50 kg + 2.3 × (height in − 60) · · · Hamwi men: 48 kg + 2.7 × (height in − 60) · · · Women: similar with smaller base weight
The four formulas come from different authors and decades, and each adds a different weight per inch over 5 ft. For men that runs from 1.41 kg by Miller to 2.7 kg by Hamwi, so the formulas disagree by different amounts at different heights. At 5'10" the four results for a man span 70.3 to 75 kg. At 6'4" they span 78.8 to 91.2 kg.
Worked example
A man who is 5'10" is 70 inches tall, 10 inches over 5 ft. Devine gives 50 + 2.3 × 10 = 73 kg and Hamwi gives 48 + 2.7 × 10 = 75 kg. In US units the calculator shows these as 160.9 lbs and 165.3 lbs. Robinson gives 71 kg and Miller 70.3 kg. A healthy BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 covers a much wider band. At 1.778 m it runs from 18.5 × 1.778² ≈ 58.5 kg to 24.9 × 1.778² ≈ 78.7 kg, about 129 to 174 lb.
Frequently asked questions
Is "ideal weight" really ideal?
It's an estimate, not a target. Medical formulas were developed for purposes like medication dosing, not lifestyle goals. Healthy weight is a range, not a single number, and depends heavily on body composition and individual factors.
Is healthy weight different for men and women?
The BMI range is not. NHLBI gives one healthy range for adults, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9, and the World Health Organization lists its adult cutoffs of 25 and 30 as one set too. At 5'10" that range is 128.9 to 173.5 lb for both. The four formulas do differ, but they are estimates made for uses such as medication dosing, not healthy targets. At 5'10" they give a man 155 to 165.3 lb and a woman 145.5 to 151 lb. NHLBI's waist figures differ as well, more than 40 inches (101.6 cm) for men and more than 35 inches (88.9 cm) for women. This page knows only your height, so it cannot say which weight suits you.
Should I aim for IBW?
Not strictly. The healthy BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 is much wider than any one formula figure, and neither one knows your muscle, your frame or your health. Ask your doctor about a target for you.
Why do the formulas disagree?
Each was built from different data with a different method, and each adds a different weight per inch of height. The gap between the highest and lowest result changes with height. For a man it is 4.7 kg at 5'10" and 12.4 kg at 6'4". None of the four is the correct one.