Ideal Weight Calculator
Estimate ideal body weight from height and sex with the Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi formulas, compared with the healthy BMI weight range.
Results
- Formulas add a fixed amount per inch over 5 ft (152.4 cm). They were designed for drug dosing, not as health targets.
What is Ideal Weight Calculator?
Shows the "ideal body weight" given by four classic formulas for your height and sex, the range they span, and the weight range that corresponds to a healthy BMI of 18.5–24.9.
How to use Ideal Weight Calculator
- Choose units and Sex.
- Enter your Height.
- Compare the four formulas with the healthy BMI range.
Example
Male, 180 cm
Devine 75 kg, Robinson 72.6 kg, Miller 71.5 kg, Hamwi 77.3 kg; healthy BMI range 59.9 kg – 80.7 kg
When to use Ideal Weight Calculator
Use it for a rough reference or for clinical dosing calculations where these formulas are standard. They ignore frame size, muscle mass and age, so do not treat them as personal targets; below 5 ft the results are extrapolated.
How Ideal Weight Calculator works
Each formula adds a fixed amount per inch above 5 ft (60 in): Devine (1974) men 50 kg + 2.3 kg/in, women 45.5 + 2.3; Robinson (1983) men 52 + 1.9, women 49 + 1.7; Miller (1983) men 56.2 + 1.41, women 53.1 + 1.36; Hamwi (1964) men 48 + 2.7, women 45.5 + 2.2. The BMI range is 18.5 × h² to 24.9 × h² with h in metres. Results are shown in kg or lb according to the chosen units.
Common Use Cases
- Getting a reference weight for your height
- Drug dosing calculations that use IBW
- Comparing formula results with the BMI range
- Nutrition and nursing coursework
FAQs
Why do the formulas disagree?
They come from different data and purposes; the spread itself shows that there is no single ideal weight.
Which formula is used in medicine?
Devine is the most common for drug dosing and ventilator settings.
Do these work for short people?
They were designed for heights of 5 ft and above; below that the tool warns that results are extrapolated.