There is no single ideal weight for a height. For a man of 5 ft 10 in, the four standard formulas give 70.3 to 75.3 kg, and a healthy BMI gives a wider 58.5 to 78.7 kg. For South Asian adults the WHO Asian BMI range, 18.5 to 22.9, gives 58.5 to 72.4 kg for the same height.
Choose your sex and enter your height. The calculator shows each formula, the spread between them and the BMI ranges, in kg or lb.
The four ideal weight formulas
Each formula starts with a weight for someone exactly 5 feet tall and adds a fixed amount for every inch above that.
| Formula | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Devine (1974) | 50 kg + 2.3 kg per inch | 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg per inch |
| Robinson (1983) | 52 kg + 1.9 kg per inch | 49 kg + 1.7 kg per inch |
| Miller (1983) | 56.2 kg + 1.41 kg per inch | 53.1 kg + 1.36 kg per inch |
| Hamwi (1964) | 106 lb + 6 lb per inch | 100 lb + 5 lb per inch |
The Devine formula was written to help doctors dose medicines, and it is still used in hospitals for that. The later Robinson and Miller formulas were fitted to height and weight tables. None of them takes age, frame size or muscle into account, which is why this page gives a range rather than a single number.
Worked example: man, 5 ft 10 in
He is 10 inches over 5 feet.
| Formula | Working | Ideal weight |
|---|---|---|
| Devine | 50 + 2.3 × 10 | 73.0 kg |
| Robinson | 52 + 1.9 × 10 | 71.0 kg |
| Miller | 56.2 + 1.41 × 10 | 70.3 kg |
| Hamwi | 106 + 6 × 10 = 166 lb | 75.3 kg |
The formulas span 70.3 to 75.3 kg. His height is 177.8 cm, so a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 gives 58.5 to 78.7 kg, and the Asian range of 18.5 to 22.9 gives 58.5 to 72.4 kg. If he weighs 74 kg he sits inside the formula range but just above the Asian BMI range, so his waist size is worth checking with the BMI calculator.
Ideal weight chart for women
Ideal weight in kg by each formula, with the Asian BMI range. Below 5 feet the formulas are extrapolated and less reliable.
| Height | Devine, kg | Robinson, kg | Miller, kg | Hamwi, kg | Asian BMI range, kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 ft 10 in (147 cm) | 40.9 | 45.6 | 50.4 | 40.8 | 40.2 to 49.7 |
| 4 ft 11 in (150 cm) | 43.2 | 47.3 | 51.7 | 43.1 | 41.5 to 51.4 |
| 5 ft 0 in (152 cm) | 45.5 | 49.0 | 53.1 | 45.4 | 43.0 to 53.2 |
| 5 ft 1 in (155 cm) | 47.8 | 50.7 | 54.5 | 47.6 | 44.4 to 55.0 |
| 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) | 50.1 | 52.4 | 55.8 | 49.9 | 45.9 to 56.8 |
| 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) | 52.4 | 54.1 | 57.2 | 52.2 | 47.4 to 58.6 |
| 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | 54.7 | 55.8 | 58.5 | 54.4 | 48.9 to 60.5 |
| 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) | 57.0 | 57.5 | 59.9 | 56.7 | 50.4 to 62.4 |
| 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | 59.3 | 59.2 | 61.3 | 59.0 | 52.0 to 64.4 |
| 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | 61.6 | 60.9 | 62.6 | 61.2 | 53.6 to 66.3 |
| 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | 63.9 | 62.6 | 64.0 | 63.5 | 55.2 to 68.3 |
| 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | 66.2 | 64.3 | 65.3 | 65.8 | 56.8 to 70.3 |
| 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | 68.5 | 66.0 | 66.7 | 68.0 | 58.5 to 72.4 |
Ideal weight chart for men
| Height | Devine, kg | Robinson, kg | Miller, kg | Hamwi, kg | Asian BMI range, kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) | 54.6 | 55.8 | 59.0 | 53.5 | 45.9 to 56.8 |
| 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) | 56.9 | 57.7 | 60.4 | 56.2 | 47.4 to 58.6 |
| 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | 59.2 | 59.6 | 61.8 | 59.0 | 48.9 to 60.5 |
| 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) | 61.5 | 61.5 | 63.3 | 61.7 | 50.4 to 62.4 |
| 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | 63.8 | 63.4 | 64.7 | 64.4 | 52.0 to 64.4 |
| 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | 66.1 | 65.3 | 66.1 | 67.1 | 53.6 to 66.3 |
| 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | 68.4 | 67.2 | 67.5 | 69.9 | 55.2 to 68.3 |
| 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | 70.7 | 69.1 | 68.9 | 72.6 | 56.8 to 70.3 |
| 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | 73.0 | 71.0 | 70.3 | 75.3 | 58.5 to 72.4 |
| 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | 75.3 | 72.9 | 71.7 | 78.0 | 60.2 to 74.5 |
| 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | 77.6 | 74.8 | 73.1 | 80.7 | 61.9 to 76.6 |
| 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | 79.9 | 76.7 | 74.5 | 83.5 | 63.6 to 78.7 |
| 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | 82.2 | 78.6 | 75.9 | 86.2 | 65.4 to 80.9 |
| 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | 84.5 | 80.5 | 77.4 | 88.9 | 67.1 to 83.1 |
| 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | 86.8 | 82.4 | 78.8 | 91.6 | 68.9 to 85.3 |
Which number should you aim for?
Treat the formula range as a guide and the BMI range as the wider safe zone. If you are of Pakistani or other South Asian origin, the Asian BMI range is the better guide, because health risks start rising at a lower BMI. A doctor may set a different target if you are older, very muscular, pregnant or managing a medical condition.
If you need to lose or gain weight to reach your range, the calorie calculator shows how many calories a day that takes at a safe rate.
This calculator gives an estimate from a published formula. It does not diagnose any condition and is not a substitute for a doctor. Talk to a doctor before making decisions about your health, diet or treatment.
Ideal weight questions
What is the ideal weight for a 5 ft 5 in woman?
The four formulas give 56.7 to 59.9 kg for a woman of 5 ft 5 in (165.1 cm). A healthy BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 gives 50.4 to 67.9 kg, and the Asian range of 18.5 to 22.9 gives 50.4 to 62.4 kg. Anywhere in the Asian range is a reasonable target for most South Asian women.
What is the ideal weight for a 5 ft 8 in man?
For a man of 5 ft 8 in (172.7 cm) the formulas give 67.2 to 69.9 kg. The healthy BMI range is 55.2 to 74.3 kg, and the Asian range is 55.2 to 68.3 kg. The formulas sit near the top of the Asian range, so a South Asian man may aim a little lower.
Does ideal weight depend on age?
None of the four formulas uses age, and nor do the adult BMI ranges. In practice people lose muscle as they get older, so the same weight can mean more body fat at 60 than at 25. Your doctor may accept a slightly higher BMI in older age. Children and teenagers need growth charts instead.
Which ideal weight formula is the most accurate?
None is accurate for an individual, because none measures body fat or muscle. Devine is the one most used in medicine, mainly to dose drugs. Robinson and Miller were fitted to later data and give similar results. Taking the range across all four, together with the BMI range, is more honest than picking one.
Why is my result different from other websites?
Websites use different formulas or round the Hamwi formula differently. This calculator uses Hamwi as originally written in pounds, which is 106 lb plus 6 lb per inch for men. Some sites also add or remove 10% for a small or large frame. Check which formula a site uses before comparing numbers.
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Last reviewed 30 September 2026. Results are estimates; official notices always take precedence.