Ideal Weight Calculator
Estimate a healthy target weight range for your height and gender.
How to use the Ideal Weight Calculator
- Select your gender.
- Enter your height in centimetres.
- See your estimated ideal weight and a healthy weight range.
Devine: men 50 + 2.3×(inches−60), women 45.5 + 2.3×(inches−60); range from BMI 18.5–24.9
About the Ideal Weight Calculator
This calculator returns two things from your height and sex, which is all it asks for because that is all the maths uses. The single figure comes from the Devine formula — 50 kg plus 2.3 kg for every inch over 5 feet for men, 45.5 kg plus 2.3 kg per inch for women. The range beside it is simply the weights that would put you at a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 at your height.
The history matters more than the number. Devine published his equation in 1974 as a way to calculate drug doses — for medicines that distribute through lean tissue rather than fat — not as a health target for anyone. The same is true of the Robinson, Miller and Hamwi variants you will find on other sites, and they disagree with each other by several kilograms at the same height. No formula here has ever been shown to describe the weight at which a given person is healthiest.
The deeper limitation is that no height-only formula can see body composition. A muscular athlete comes out “overweight” by these numbers; someone carrying very little muscle can hit the figure exactly and still carry a lot of fat. Use it as a rough reference point rather than a goal — a body fat estimate says more about composition, and a doctor or dietitian more than either. This is an estimate, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
Which formula does this use?
The Devine formula for the single figure, plus a BMI 18.5–24.9 band for the range. Devine is the most widely cited of the classic equations, largely because it is the one clinical drug-dosing references adopted.
Why do the classic formulas disagree with each other?
Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi were each fitted by different authors to different data for different purposes. They share the same shape — a base weight plus a fixed amount per inch of height — but the constants differ, so their answers differ too.
Does it account for muscle or frame size?
No. Height and sex are the only inputs. Bone structure, frame width and muscle mass all shift what a healthy weight looks like, and none of them appear anywhere in the equation.
Should I treat this as a target weight?
No. It was never designed as one. A range is more honest than a point estimate, and a conversation with a doctor or dietitian is more useful than either.
Why does it only ask for height?
Because the Devine formula only takes height and sex. Asking for more would imply the result depends on more than it does.
Guides & articles about this tool
Body Fat Percentage: What It Is and How to Measure It
Your body fat percentage shows how much of your weight is fat compared with muscle, bone and water. This guide explains what that figure means, why it mat…
How to Calculate Your BMI (and What the Number Really Means)
Want to work out your BMI? It’s straightforward: divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared. That’s all you need. This short guide e…