Ideal Weight Calculator
Find your ideal weight based on height and body type
What is an Ideal Weight Calculator?
An ideal weight calculator estimates a target body weight range based on your height, sex, and body frame. Unlike BMI, which gives a single number, ideal weight formulas provide a weight range considered healthy for a given height. Multiple different formulas exist — developed independently by different medical researchers — and this calculator shows results from all of them for comparison.
The four most widely used formulas are: the Devine formula (1974, originally for drug dosing), the Robinson formula (1983), the Miller formula (1983), and the Hamwi formula (1964). Each was developed for slightly different clinical contexts and produces slightly different results. No single formula is universally accepted as the most accurate.
Important caveat: "ideal weight" is a statistical concept based on population averages, not an individual prescription. Muscle mass, bone density, body proportions, and ethnic background all affect what a healthy weight looks like for a specific person. Use this as a reference range, not a goal.
How to Use This Calculator
Frame Size Determination (Wrist Circumference)
- • Men height > 165cm: Small <16.5cm · Medium 16.5–18cm · Large >18cm
- • Women height > 158cm: Small <14cm · Medium 14–14.6cm · Large >14.6cm
- • Wrist method note: Elbow breadth method is more accurate but needs a caliper
?Frequently Asked Questions
Which ideal weight formula is most accurate?
No single formula is definitively "most accurate" — they were all developed for different clinical purposes. The Robinson formula is most commonly cited in current medical literature. The Devine formula is still widely used for pharmaceutical drug dosing calculations. For practical purposes, looking at the range across all four formulas gives a more realistic picture than relying on any single one.
Should athletes use ideal weight calculators?
Ideal weight formulas are designed for the general population and are not appropriate as performance targets for athletes. A 175cm male sprinter might ideally weigh 70–75kg by these formulas, but many elite sprinters carry 80–85kg of predominantly muscle mass. Athletes should work with sports dietitians who factor in sport-specific body composition requirements.
Does ideal weight change with age?
The classic formulas do not account for age. However, body composition naturally changes with age — muscle mass tends to decrease and fat mass tends to increase after age 30 even at the same body weight. Some clinicians suggest that slightly higher BMI (up to 27) may be acceptable and even protective in adults over 65, based on studies showing U-shaped mortality curves.