Many people know their current weight but are less sure what weight range suits their height. No single “perfect” number exists, but a healthy range and a well-known estimate can give you a sensible target to work towards.
This ideal weight calculator gives you both. Enter your height once and it shows a healthy weight range in kilograms and pounds, plus a Devine ideal weight estimate for your height and sex. You can find this and related tools in our health calculators hub.
Ideal Weight Calculator
Enter your height and sex to see a healthy weight range for your height and a Devine ideal weight estimate, in kilograms and pounds.
You can use either feet and inches or centimetres. If both are filled in, the centimetres value takes precedence.
Your results
What Is the Ideal Weight Calculator?
The ideal weight calculator takes your height and sex and returns two results. The first is a healthy weight range: the weights at which your body mass index (BMI) would fall between 18.5 and 24.9, the range widely used for adults. The second is the Devine estimate, a single figure developed in medicine for estimating a typical weight for a height.
The range shows that many weights can be healthy for the same height, while the estimate gives one simple reference point inside it. You can also check your current position with our BMI calculator for a quick weight category check.
How It Works and the Formula
The healthy range comes from the BMI formula, rearranged. BMI equals weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. This tool turns those healthy BMI limits around to find the weights that match them:
Low end of range = 18.5 × (height in metres)2
High end of range = 24.9 × (height in metres)2
Here, 18.5 is the lowest healthy BMI value and 24.9 is the highest. Height in metres is your height converted from centimetres or from feet and inches. Squaring means multiplying it by itself. The result is a weight in kilograms.
The Devine estimate uses a different method, based on height in inches:
Devine estimate = base + 2.3 kg × (total inches − 60)
Base is 50 kg for males and 45.5 kg for females. It is the estimate at exactly 5 feet (60 inches). Total inches is your full height in inches. For every inch above 60, 2.3 kg is added. If you are shorter than 5 feet, the term in brackets is negative, so 2.3 kg is subtracted for each inch below 60 instead. Kilograms are converted to pounds by multiplying by 2.20462.
How to Use the Ideal Weight Calculator
- Enter your height in feet and inches, or in centimetres — whichever you prefer.
- If you fill in both, the centimetres value is used, so check it is correct.
- Select Female or Male, which sets the base value for the Devine estimate.
- Optionally, choose a frame size: small lowers the Devine estimate by 10% and large raises it by 10%.
- Click Calculate and read your healthy range and Devine estimate in kilograms and pounds.
- Change the numbers to try another height, or click Reset to start over.
For the energy side of a weight plan, see our BMR calculator for resting metabolic rate.
Worked Example
Suppose a man is 175 cm tall: that is 1.75 m, and 1.75 squared is 3.0625.
Low end: 18.5 × 3.0625 = 56.7 kg, rounded to one decimal place.
High end: 24.9 × 3.0625 = 76.3 kg.
So his healthy weight range is approximately 56.7–76.3 kg, which is about 124.9–168.2 lb.
For the Devine estimate, 175 cm is about 68.9 inches, which is 8.9 inches over 5 feet. For a male: 50 + (2.3 × 8.9) ≈ 70.5 kg, or about 155.3 lb. This estimate sits comfortably inside the healthy range above.
Healthy Weight Ranges by Height
The table below shows healthy weight ranges for heights from 150 cm to 200 cm, using the same formula. Find the row nearest your height for a quick reference.
| Height (cm) | Low end (kg) | High end (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| 150 | 41.6 | 56.0 |
| 155 | 44.4 | 59.8 |
| 160 | 47.4 | 63.7 |
| 165 | 50.4 | 67.8 |
| 170 | 53.5 | 72.0 |
| 175 | 56.7 | 76.3 |
| 180 | 59.9 | 80.7 |
| 185 | 63.3 | 85.2 |
| 190 | 66.8 | 89.9 |
| 195 | 70.3 | 94.7 |
| 200 | 74.0 | 99.6 |
The range widens as height increases — another reason a range is more useful than one fixed number.
Important Points and Assumptions
The calculator assumes the standard adult BMI limits of 18.5 and 24.9 apply to you. They are population guidelines: they do not account for muscle mass, bone structure, age, pregnancy, or medical conditions, and different guidance may apply to children, teenagers, older adults, and some ethnic groups.
The Devine formula was created for medical dosing, not as a personal health target, so treat it as a rough reference only. The optional frame adjustment of plus or minus 10% is a simple convention, not a measured property of your body.
Medical disclaimer: This calculator and article provide general information only and are not medical advice. They do not replace guidance from a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. Please consult a healthcare professional before acting on these results, especially if you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or are considering a significant weight change.
Common Mistakes
The most common mistake is entering height in the wrong unit — for example, typing 175 into a feet field. The calculator flags heights outside 90–250 cm, but a mixed-up entry inside that range can still mislead, so double-check your units.
Another mistake is treating the Devine figure as a target you must hit exactly. It is one estimate inside a wide healthy range, not a pass-or-fail line.
People also forget that when both height fields are filled in, the centimetres value wins — an old centimetres entry will override your feet-and-inches entry.
How to Interpret Your Results
Start with the range, not the single estimate. If your current weight falls inside the healthy range, that is generally a reassuring sign, whatever the Devine figure says. If it falls outside, the gap between your weight and the nearest end of the range gives you a rough sense of scale — not a prescription.
The Devine estimate is most useful as a midpoint reference when comparing tools or reading older guidance. The frame-adjusted figure simply shows how it shifts for smaller or larger builds.
If you decide to change your weight, our TDEE calculator for total daily energy expenditure can help you estimate your daily calorie needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a healthy weight for my height?
For most adults, it is the range where BMI falls between 18.5 and 24.9 for your height. This calculator works it out in kilograms and pounds.
What is the Devine formula?
It estimates weight from height: 50 kg for males or 45.5 kg for females at 5 feet, plus 2.3 kg for each inch over 5 feet, and minus 2.3 kg for each inch under.
Why does the calculator show both a range and a single estimate?
Because no single weight is ideal for everyone of the same height. The range shows the full healthy band, while the Devine figure gives one simple reference point within it.
Should I use feet and inches or centimetres?
Either works and gives the same result. If you enter both, centimetres takes precedence, so make sure that field is accurate or leave it blank.
Does frame size change my healthy range?
No. The optional frame selection only adjusts the Devine estimate by 10% up or down and is shown separately. Your BMI-based healthy range stays the same.
Is this calculator suitable for children?
No. It uses adult BMI limits. Children and teenagers are assessed with age- and sex-specific growth charts instead, so use a paediatric source or a clinician for anyone under 18.
References
For official guidance on healthy weight, BMI, and weight assessment, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) healthy weight resources.