Ideal weight calculator.
See an estimate of your ideal body weight from your height and sex, using four well-known formulas, alongside the healthy weight range that keeps your BMI in the normal band.
Your details
LiveIdeal weight is a guide, not a target to chase exactly. Switch units any time.
Ideal weight (Devine)
75.0 kg
a common clinical estimate
Ideal-weight formulas are rough guides based only on height and sex. Healthy weight varies with build and muscle. Calculations run in your browser; nothing is stored.
How it works
Four formulas, one range
Ideal body weight formulas estimate a healthy weight from height and sex alone. The calculator shows several, because no single one is definitive: Devine, the most cited in medicine, plus Robinson and Miller, which tend to read a little lower. They all start from a base weight at five feet and add a fixed amount per inch above it.
It also shows the weight range that keeps your BMI between 18.5 and 25 for your height, which is a more flexible way to think about a healthy weight than a single number.
The full guide
The complete ideal weight guide.
Where ideal-weight formulas come from, how they differ, and how to read them sensibly.
What is ideal body weight?
Ideal body weight is an estimate of a healthy weight based only on your height and sex. The formulas were originally created to help with medication dosing, not as a personal goal, but they give a reasonable ballpark for a healthy weight and are still widely quoted.
The four formulas
Devine, from 1974, is the most used in clinical settings. Robinson and Miller, both from 1983, refined it and usually give slightly lower numbers. Hamwi, from 1964, is a quick bedside version. Each adds a set weight for every inch above five feet, differing only in the base and the per-inch amount.
Ideal weight versus a healthy range
Because these formulas use only height and sex, they cannot account for build, muscle or frame size, so two people of the same height can both be healthy at different weights. That is why the calculator also shows the BMI-based healthy range, which gives a band rather than a single figure.
Frame and muscle matter
A larger frame or more muscle means a higher healthy weight, and these formulas do not capture that. A muscular person may sit above their ideal-weight figure while being perfectly healthy. Read the number alongside body composition, not on its own.
Using the result
Treat ideal weight as one reference point. If your weight is far outside both the formulas and the healthy BMI range, it is worth a closer look, but small differences are not meaningful. For personalised goals, a doctor or dietitian can factor in your build and health.
The formula
Height in,
weight out.
Ideal-weight formulas add a fixed amount per inch above five feet to a base weight, set by sex.
Try the BMI calculator ›# Devine (men), kg
IBW = 50 + 2.3 × (inches over 60)
# women
IBW = 45.5 + 2.3 × (inches over 60)
# healthy range
18.5 to 25 × height(m)²Questions
Ideal weight questions.
How is ideal weight calculated?
+
From your height and sex. Each formula starts with a base weight at five feet and adds a fixed amount for every inch above that. The calculator shows Devine, Robinson and Miller, plus a BMI-based healthy range.
Which ideal weight formula is best?
+
There is no single best one. Devine is the most used in medicine, while Robinson and Miller tend to read a little lower. Seeing several, plus the healthy BMI range, gives a fuller picture than one number.
Should I aim for my exact ideal weight?
+
No. These formulas use only height and sex, so they cannot account for your build or muscle. Use the figure as a guide, and treat the healthy BMI range as a more realistic target band.
Why do the formulas give different numbers?
+
They were developed at different times with slightly different base weights and per-inch amounts. The spread between them shows how approximate any single ideal-weight figure is.
Is this ideal weight calculator free and private?
+
Yes. It is completely free with no sign-up, and every calculation runs locally in your browser, so nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
About the developer
Jean Borg
Jean builds and maintains every calculator on freecalculators.pro from Malta. The ideal weight calculator uses the Devine, Robinson and Miller formulas plus the BMI range, and is provided for general information, not medical advice.