Ideal Weight Calculator
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Estimate your ideal body weight from your height and sex using four classic clinical formulas — Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi. Choose metric or imperial units and compare the results side by side, all in your browser.
Four ways to estimate ideal weight
Ideal body weight formulas were originally created to help with medication dosing and clinical assessment, and several versions are still in common use. This tool shows four of the best known side by side: Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi. Each takes only your height and sex and returns a target weight.
All four share the same structure: a base weight defined at five feet (60 inches) of height, plus a fixed amount added for every inch above that. They differ in the exact base and per-inch values, which is why their answers spread out by a few kilograms. Rather than trust one, this calculator lets you read them as a range.
How the formulas differ
The Devine formula (1974) is the most widely cited, especially in medicine, using 50 kg base for men and 45.5 kg for women plus 2.3 kg per inch over five feet. The Robinson (1983) and Miller (1983) formulas were refinements that tend to give slightly lower numbers, while the older Hamwi formula (1964) usually sits at the higher end for men.
Because they were built from different populations and purposes, no single one is definitively correct. Treat the spread between them as the useful output: if all four cluster near a value, that is a reasonable target; the gap between the lowest and highest gives a sensible healthy window.
- Devine: 50 (men) / 45.5 (women) kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 ft
- Robinson: 52 / 49 kg + 1.9 / 1.7 kg per inch over 5 ft
- Miller: 56.2 / 53.1 kg + 1.41 / 1.36 kg per inch over 5 ft
- Hamwi: 48 / 45.5 kg + 2.7 / 2.2 kg per inch over 5 ft
Using the result wisely
Ideal weight formulas are a rough guide, not a rule. They ignore frame size, muscle mass, age and body composition, so a lean, muscular person may sit above their calculated ideal while remaining perfectly healthy. They also become less reliable at very short or very tall heights.
Use these numbers as a reference point alongside other measures such as BMI, waist circumference and how you feel and perform. If you are setting a personal goal, aim for the range the four formulas describe rather than a single decimal, and consider a professional assessment for anything health related.
Frequently asked questions
Which formula should I trust most?
The Devine formula is the most widely used, especially in clinical settings, but no single formula is objectively best. Reading all four together gives a more realistic healthy range than any one alone.
Why do the results differ between formulas?
Each formula uses a different base weight and per-inch increment derived from different data sets. Those small differences add up, so the answers naturally spread by a few kilograms.
Do these work for very tall or short people?
They become less accurate at the extremes because they assume a linear increase with height above five feet. For unusually short or tall statures, treat the numbers as a loose guide.
Is ideal weight the same as a healthy weight?
Not exactly. These formulas estimate a reference weight for height and sex, but a healthy weight also depends on muscle, frame and overall health, so a range is more useful than a single target.
Should men and women use different values?
Yes. Every formula uses a lower base weight and, in most cases, a smaller per-inch increment for women to reflect average differences in build and body composition.
Is my data stored?
No. The calculation happens locally in your browser with simple arithmetic, so your height and sex are never uploaded.
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