Ideal weight calculator
Pick your sex and enter your height to see the healthy weight range for it, plus what the classic ideal body weight formulas say.
Based on CDC/WHO BMI ranges and formulas published in peer-reviewed journalsLast reviewed: October 9, 2026
The short answer
A healthy weight for an adult is any weight that gives a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. At 5′10″ that is about 129 to 174 lb for both men and women. The Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi formulas give a single number, but they are old estimates built for drug dosing, not personal targets.
How it is calculated
Healthy weight = 18.5 × height (m)² to 24.9 × height (m)²
Historical formulas start at 5 ft and add a fixed amount per inch above it:
- Devine: men 50 kg + 2.3 kg/in, women 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg/in
- Robinson: men 52 kg + 1.9 kg/in, women 49 kg + 1.7 kg/in
- Miller: men 56.2 kg + 1.41 kg/in, women 53.1 kg + 1.36 kg/in
- Hamwi: men 106 lb + 6 lb/in, women 100 lb + 5 lb/in
Worked example
Jake is a man, 5′10″ tall.
- 5′10″ = 70 in = 177.8 cm = 1.778 m
- Healthy range: 18.5 × 1.778² = 58.5 kg (129 lb) up to 24.9 × 1.778² = 78.7 kg (174 lb)
- Devine: 50 + 2.3 × 10 = 73.0 kg = 161 lb
- Hamwi: 106 + 6 × 10 = 166 lb
- Robinson 157 lb, Miller 155 lb
Jake's healthy range is 129 to 174 lb. The four formulas land between 155 and 166 lb, inside that range.
Quick reference table
| Height | Healthy range (lb) | Devine, women | Devine, men |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5′0″ | 95–127 | 100 | 110 |
| 5′2″ | 101–136 | 110 | 120 |
| 5′4″ | 108–145 | 121 | 131 |
| 5′6″ | 115–154 | 131 | 141 |
| 5′8″ | 122–164 | 141 | 151 |
| 5′10″ | 129–174 | 151 | 161 |
| 6′0″ | 136–184 | 161 | 171 |
| 6′2″ | 144–194 | 171 | 181 |
| 6′4″ | 152–205 | 181 | 191 |
Special cases and common mistakes
- Why a range, not one number? The CDC calls a BMI of 18.5 to under 25 a healthy weight. Any weight in that band is healthy by BMI; there is no single "ideal" pound figure that fits everyone of the same height.
- The four formulas are historical. Devine (1974) was published to dose a drug and rested on observation, not a population study. Robinson and Miller (1983) were fitted to insurance-company height and weight tables. How Hamwi (1964) was derived was never reported. Their answers differ by up to 14% for men and 19% for women.
- Age is not in the formulas. People search "ideal weight by height and age", but the adult healthy range is the same from age 20 on, and none of the four formulas uses age.
- Under 5 feet: the formulas were designed for 5 ft and taller, so we show only the healthy range below that.
- Frame size: some sites add or subtract 10% for a small or large frame. We leave that out because we could not confirm it in a medical source we checked.
- Not for kids, teens or pregnancy. Children are assessed on growth charts, and weight in pregnancy is tracked by your provider.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ideal weight for a 5′4″ female?
A healthy range at 5′4″ is about 108 to 145 lb. The Devine formula gives 121 lb.
What is the ideal weight for a 6 foot male?
A healthy range at 6′0″ is about 136 to 184 lb. The Devine formula gives 171 lb and Hamwi gives 178 lb.
Which ideal weight formula is most accurate?
None of them was built as a personal health target; they come from drug-dosing and insurance tables. That is why the calculator leads with the BMI-based healthy range and shows the formulas for comparison.
Does ideal weight change with age?
Not for adults. The healthy BMI range is the same from age 20 on, and the classic formulas ignore age. Under 20, weight is judged on growth charts for age and sex.
How do I calculate ideal weight in kg?
Switch the calculator to cm and kg, or multiply your height in meters squared by 18.5 and by 24.9. At 1.70 m: 53.5 to 72 kg.
Sources
- CDC: Adult BMI Categories (Last reviewed: October 9, 2026)
- WHO Regional Office for Europe: Nutrition for a healthy life (BMI 18.5–24.9 normal weight) (Last reviewed: October 9, 2026)
- Chichester, Holmes & Hubbard, Ideal body weight: a commentary, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN 2021 (Table 1: Devine, Robinson, Miller, Hamwi) (Last reviewed: October 9, 2026)
- Walter & Patel, Variability in ideal body weight formulae, Journal of the Intensive Care Society (values by height) (Last reviewed: October 9, 2026)
- NHS: Calculate your BMI (who should not use an adult BMI calculator) (Last reviewed: October 9, 2026)