Ideal Weight Calculator
This ideal weight calculator estimates ideal body weight from your height and sex using the Devine formula. Enter your height in centimeters or feet and inches, choose male or female, and show the result in kilograms or pounds. The tool returns a central estimate plus a practical range that sits 10 percent below and 10 percent above that estimate, which makes it more useful for planning than a single hard cutoff. Ideal weight formulas are often used for quick chart checks, general fitness discussions, and some clinical reference points, but they do not measure body fat, muscle mass, frame size, or overall health by themselves. Use the result as a starting number, not as a rule that says one exact body weight is right for every person of the same height.
Quick answer
The calculator uses the Devine method, which starts with a base weight at 5 feet and adds 2.3 kilograms for each inch above that height.
What this tells you
- •The calculator uses the Devine method, which starts with a base weight at 5 feet and adds 2.3 kilograms for each inch above that height.
- •Male and female results differ because the Devine formula uses different base values, 50 kg for males and 45.5 kg for females.
- •If height is below 5 feet, this version of the formula keeps the base value instead of subtracting weight for each missing inch.
- •The displayed lower and upper range is not a second medical formula. It is a simple band set at 90 percent and 110 percent of the main estimate.
- •Ideal weight is only one reference point. It should be read alongside body composition, performance, symptoms, medical history, and professional guidance when those factors matter.
How to Use
- 11. Enter your height in the input field. Use centimeters if you want a metric entry, or switch to feet and inches if that matches how you normally measure height.
- 22. Select your sex because the Devine formula uses a different starting value for male and female calculations.
- 33. Choose the output unit. Pick kilograms for metric output or pounds if you want the estimate and range shown in US units.
- 44. Click Calculate to see the ideal weight estimate, the lower range, the upper range, and the method used for the result.
- 55. Compare the number with other context before making decisions. If you are using the result for health planning, combine it with factors like body-fat level, strength, energy, lab work, and advice from a qualified clinician.
How It Works
Formula
Male: 50 + 2.3 × (inches over 60), Female: 45.5 + 2.3 × (inches over 60)The Devine formula converts height to total inches first. It then counts how many inches are above 60 inches, which is 5 feet. For males, the estimate starts at 50 kilograms. For females, it starts at 45.5 kilograms. The formula adds 2.3 kilograms for each inch above 5 feet. In this tool, heights under 5 feet do not reduce the base value because the code uses zero for any negative inches-over-60 amount. After the main estimate is found, the calculator also shows a practical range by multiplying the estimate by 0.9 and 1.1. That range is meant to show reasonable variation around the central figure, not a clinical cutoff.
Calculation note: values are processed in the order shown above, using the current input units.
Worked Examples
Male, 175 cm
175 cm equals about 68.9 inches. That is 8.9 inches above 5 feet, so the estimate is 50 + (2.3 × 8.9) = 70.5 kg after rounding. The tool then shows 90 percent and 110 percent of that value, which gives a practical range of 63.4 to 77.5 kg.
Female, 5 ft 4 in
A height of 5 feet 4 inches is 64 total inches. That is 4 inches above 60, so the estimate is 45.5 + (2.3 × 4) = 54.7 kg. The lower and upper range comes from 54.7 × 0.9 = 49.3 kg and 54.7 × 1.1 = 60.2 kg after rounding.
Male, 6 ft 0 in with pound output
Six feet equals 72 inches, which is 12 inches above 5 feet. The metric estimate is 50 + (2.3 × 12) = 77.6 kg after rounding, and the tool converts that to 171.1 lb. The range converts in the same way, so 69.9 kg becomes 154.0 lb and 85.4 kg becomes 188.2 lb.
Female, exactly 5 ft 0 in
At exactly 60 inches, the inches-over-60 value is zero. That means the result stays at the female base value of 45.5 kg. The displayed range is 45.5 × 0.9 = 41.0 kg and 45.5 × 1.1 = 50.1 kg after rounding.
Male, just under 5 ft
149.9 cm is about 59.0 inches, which is below 5 feet. In this tool, negative inches-over-60 values are replaced with zero, so the male estimate stays at the 50 kg base value instead of dropping lower. Fifty kilograms converts to 110.2 lb, and the matching 10 percent range converts to 99.2 to 121.3 lb.
Common height checkpoints in the Devine formula
These reference values show the central Devine estimate before the tool applies the 10 percent range.
| Height | Male estimate | Female estimate | How the formula gets there |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 0 in | 50.0 kg | 45.5 kg | Base value with 0 inches over 60 |
| 5 ft 4 in | 59.2 kg | 54.7 kg | Base value plus 2.3 kg × 4 |
| 5 ft 8 in | 68.4 kg | 63.9 kg | Base value plus 2.3 kg × 8 |
| 6 ft 0 in | 77.6 kg | 73.1 kg | Base value plus 2.3 kg × 12 |
For heights below 5 feet, this calculator keeps the same base value instead of subtracting weight for each inch below 60.
How to read an ideal weight estimate
An ideal weight estimate is best used as a rough reference, not as a grade on your body. Two people of the same height can have very different healthy weights because muscle mass, bone structure, genetics, age, training history, and medical context all change what a reasonable body weight looks like in real life.
The Devine formula is popular because it is simple and consistent. It gives you a quick height-based estimate without asking for body-fat percentage, waist size, or activity level. That simplicity is useful for comparison, but it also means the formula leaves out many factors that matter when you are trying to judge health, performance, or recovery.
The range in this tool is there to keep the result practical. A single number can invite false precision, especially on a sensitive topic like body weight. Showing a band around the estimate reminds you that normal variation exists and that scale weight alone does not tell you how much of your body mass comes from muscle, body fat, water, or bone.
If you are using this page for planning, use it as one checkpoint among several. A BMI calculator can add another screening view, and a body-fat calculator can add more context about composition. If the result affects medication, eating patterns, pregnancy, growth, or treatment decisions, rely on personal medical guidance rather than a formula-only estimate.
Common mistakes
- Treating the estimate as a strict target instead of a rough reference point.
- Entering feet and inches incorrectly, such as typing only the inches portion or mixing centimeters with foot-based input.
- Assuming the range comes from a separate medical formula when it is simply 10 percent below and above the estimate.
- Comparing results across sexes without noting that the Devine formula uses different base values.
- Using the result by itself while ignoring body composition, strength, symptoms, age, or a clinician's advice.
Limitations
This calculator uses the Devine formula, which is a height-based estimate with only one biological input beyond height, sex. It assumes a fixed relationship between height and body weight and does not adjust for muscle mass, frame size, body-fat percentage, ethnicity, age, pregnancy, edema, limb loss, or medical conditions that change body composition. In this implementation, heights below 5 feet stay at the formula's base value rather than decreasing further. The added range is a simple 10 percent band for planning context, not a research-backed healthy-weight interval for every person.
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