Ideal Body Weight Calculator
Compare your ideal weight across four widely used medical formulas.
Gender
What Is the Ideal Body Weight Calculator?
Ideal Body Weight Calculator Formula
Devine (male) = 50 + 2.3 × (height in inches − 60)
Devine (female) = 45.5 + 2.3 × (height in inches − 60)
How Is the Ideal Body Weight Calculator Calculated?
Each formula sets a baseline weight for 5 feet (60 inches) of height, then adds a fixed amount per inch above that. The formulas differ slightly in their baseline and per-inch multiplier, which is why they produce a small range of values rather than one exact number — no single formula is universally the most accurate.
Ideal Body Weight Calculator Example
A man who is 5'10" (70 inches) tall has a Devine ideal weight of 50 + 2.3 × (70 − 60) = 73 kg (about 161 lbs), while the Robinson formula gives roughly 71 kg for the same height.
How to Use the Ideal Body Weight Calculator
Step 1
Select your gender.
Step 2
Enter your height in centimeters, or feet and inches.
Step 3
Compare your ideal weight across all four formulas, plus the average.
Benefits
- Shows four formulas side by side instead of a single number, giving a more honest range.
- Useful starting point for setting realistic weight goals with a doctor or dietitian.
- Works with both metric and imperial height units.
Common Ideal Body Weight Calculator Scenarios
Scenario 1
Getting a general target weight range before starting a fitness or nutrition plan.
Scenario 2
Comparing ideal weight formulas used in different clinical dosing calculations.
Scenario 3
Cross-checking BMI-based weight guidance with formula-based estimates.
Understanding Your Result
These formulas were originally developed for estimating medication dosages, not as fitness targets. They give a reasonable reference range based on height alone, but don't account for muscle mass, frame size, or body composition — treat the range, not any single number, as the useful output.
Tips
- Use the range across all four formulas rather than fixating on one exact figure.
- Combine this with body fat percentage or BMI for a fuller picture of healthy weight.
- Athletes and very muscular individuals will often exceed these estimates while still being healthy.
Common Mistakes
- Treating the result as a strict target rather than a general reference range.
- Using these formulas for children — they're validated for adults only.
- Ignoring frame size and muscle mass, which these height-only formulas can't account for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which ideal weight formula is most accurate?
No single formula is universally most accurate — they were developed decades apart for drug-dosing purposes and typically agree within a few kilograms of each other.
Why do the formulas give different results?
Each was derived from different population data and uses a slightly different baseline weight and per-inch multiplier, producing a small spread rather than one fixed answer.
Is ideal body weight the same as a healthy weight?
Not exactly — these formulas estimate a reference weight based on height alone, while a healthy weight also depends on muscle mass, body fat, and overall fitness.
Can I use this for children?
No, all four formulas were validated on adults; children need pediatric growth charts instead.
What is the Hamwi formula?
Developed in 1964, it's one of the original formulas clinicians used for quick nutritional assessment, using a similar baseline-plus-per-inch structure to the Devine formula.
Why were these formulas originally created?
They were developed mainly to standardize drug-dosing calculations before body-surface-area-based dosing became common — not as fitness or weight-loss targets.
Does frame size matter for ideal body weight?
In principle, yes — some clinicians adjust these baseline estimates by roughly ±10% for small or large frame size, though this calculator doesn't include a frame-size adjustment.
How reliable are these formulas for very short or very tall people?
They were validated mainly on average adult height ranges, so predictions become less reliable the further someone's height is from that typical range.
Should I aim to match my exact ideal body weight?
Not necessarily — treat it as a reference range rather than a strict target. Many healthy people fall meaningfully outside these height-only estimates due to muscle mass and frame size.
Important Information
This tool is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice.
Last updated: July 26, 2026