Ideal Weight Calculator

If you are really concerned about your health or your looks and want to know how much you should weigh, this ideal weight calculator is the tool for you. It will help you determine your ideal body weight based on your height and sex. Read on to learn the different formulas for calculating your IBW (ideal body weight) and how to interpret the results. We will also explain how to use the healthy weight chart, which is based on BMI.

The ideal weight calculator is a user-friendly tool designed to assess whether your current weight aligns with the ideal range based on sex and height. To effectively use the calculator, follow these steps:

1. Select units of measurement: Choose your preferred units of measurement (metric or imperial) before entering values. This choice will impact how the calculator interprets your inputs throughout the process.

2. Sex selection: Indicate your sex. Note that your sex input will be autosaved, eliminating the need to re-enter this information during subsequent visits.

3. Height input: Enter your height in your preferred unit of measurement. Ensure that your input falls within a range of at least 153 cm (5 ft) tall and 2.72 m (8.9 ft), as calculations are only accurate for heights within this specified range. As with sex selection, your height input will be autosaved, allowing you to resume your assessment if you return to the calculator seamlessly.

4. Weight input: Enter your current weight. Keep in mind that the minimum weight input is 15 kg (33 lb), and the maximum is 635 kg (1,400 lb). These limits ensure the accuracy of the calculations for a reasonable range of weight values.

5. Target BMI: If you have a specific BMI goal, you can set it by unchecking the option use the default value of target BMI. By default, the calculator uses the BMI value of 22.

6. Results: After entering the information, the tool will calculate your ideal weight values according to different formulas. Choose the formula from the dropdown list.

   It will also generate a graph at the end of the calculator to help you visualize the results better.

   Additionally, the tool will present the minimum and maximum values for a healthy weight based on BMI.

For example, suppose you're a male standing at 183 cm (6 ft) tall and weighing 80 kg (176 lb). If you input these values into the calculator, it will determine that your ideal weight varies according to different formulas:

• Peterson formula: 74 kg (163 lb);
• Miller formula: 73 kg (161 lb);
• Robinson formula: 75 kg (165 lb);
• Devine formula: 78 kg (172 lb);
• Hamwi formula: 81 kg (178 lb);
• Broca: 83 kg (183 lb); and
• Lorentz formula: 75 kg (165 lb).

Additionally, you'll find that for your weight to fall within the healthy BMI range, it should be a minimum of 62 kg (137 lb) and a maximum of 83 kg (183 lb). Note that if you decide to use advanced mode to set a target BMI (for example, 25), your ideal weight, as per Peterson's formula, would change, adjusting from the initial 74 kg (163 lb) to 84 kg (185 lb).

💡 If you're curious about the inner workings of the calculator and the mathematics behind it, keep reading!

There many many ways to estimate somebodies ideal weight. Truth be told, none of them is perfectly accurate, as there are a lot of factors influencing it. For example, for people with a lot of muscle mass (and high lean body mass), their ideal weight will tend to be more than indicated by the results they obtain.

Our ideal body weight calculator uses six different formulae to find your ideal weight, as well as giving you your BMI . While the four formulas listed below give you only one number that you should be aiming for, BMI gives you a certain weight range you should be in.

For men, the ideal weight calculator uses the following equations:

• Robinson formula: 52 kg + 1.9 kg per every inch over 5 feet;
• Miller formula: 56.2 kg + 1.41 kg per every inch over 5 feet;
• Hamwi formula: 48.0 kg + 2.7 kg per every inch over 5 feet;
• Devine formula: 50.0 kg + 2.3 kg per every inch over 5 feet;
• Broca formula: height [cm] - 100; and
• Lorentz formula: (height [cm] - 100) - (height [cm] - 150)/4.

For women, the ideal weight calculator uses the following equations:

• Robinson formula: 49 kg + 1.7 kg per every inch over 5 feet;
• Miller formula: 53.1 kg + 1.36 kg per every inch over 5 feet;
• Hamwi formula: 45.5 kg + 2.2 kg per every inch over 5 feet;
• Devine formula: 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg per every inch over 5 feet;
• Broca formula: height [cm] - 100; and
• Lorentz formula: (height [cm] - 100) - (height [cm] - 150)/2.

Apart from these six, our calculator also shows your ideal weight according to the Peterson formula, using your target BMI:

Peterson formula: (2.2 × target BMI) + (3.5 × target BMI × (height [m] - 1.5)).

Note that this formula is independent of sex. Our calculator uses 22 as the target BMI by default. You can change this value by clicking on the advanced mode.

The last indicator of an individuals ideal weight is BMI, short for Body Mass Index. It is calculated according to BMI = weight/height². The optimal, healthy range for BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. Our ideal weight calculator converts this back into weight, presenting to you the range of appropriate weights for your height.

You can also take a look at a height-weight chart that shows the ranges of underweight, normal and overweight for various heights:

Remember that the values found with our ideal body weight calculator are not one hundred percent valid for all. As long as you are in the BMI normal weight range, you are fine - don't go on a strict diet just to reach that specific number!

Also, our IBW calculator is valid for adults only. Don't use it to find the proper weight range of kids - consult a specialist instead. Also, don't use it if you are pregnant. Use pregnancy weight gain calculator instead!

The masterminds behind the ideal weight calculator are Łucja Zaborowska, Rita Rain, and Bogna Szyk. They bring diverse expertise to the tool, with Łucja Zaborowska being a medical doctor and an awarded graduate of Jagiellonian University Medical School, Rita Rain as a cognitive scientist, and Bogna Szyk as a civil engineer specializing in process management.

The idea for creating the calculator sparked when Łucja noticed patients struggling with determining their ideal body weight. Recognizing the need for a straightforward solution, she developed a tool to make this process more accessible and convenient for a broader audience. Consequently, she assembled a team that meticulously crafted a user-friendly calculator suitable for both clinical and personal use.

We put extra care into the quality of our content so that they are as accurate and reliable as possible. Each tool is peer-reviewed by a trained expert and then proofread by a native speaker. If you’d like to learn more about our standards, please check the Editorial Policies page.