Ideal Weight Calculator
Find your ideal body weight from height and sex using five formulas — Devine, Robinson, Miller, Hamwi, and the modern Peterson (2016) — plus your healthy BMI range.
“Ideal body weight” is an estimate of a healthy weight for your height and sex. It was originally devised to help doctors dose medications, and it remains a handy reference point — as long as you treat it as a range, not a verdict.
The five formulas
This calculator shows five equations side by side, plus their average, because no single one is authoritative:
- Devine (1974) — the most widely used, especially in medicine.
- Robinson (1983) — a refinement of Devine, usually a little lower.
- Miller (1983) — another refinement, typically the lowest for tall people.
- Hamwi (1964) — the oldest, often the highest.
- Peterson (2016) — a modern, validated equation that works across the whole height range and doesn’t split by sex; it’s anchored to a healthy target BMI.
The four classic formulas work the same way: a base weight for a person of 5 feet (152 cm), plus a fixed amount for every inch above that. Peterson instead scales directly with height and a target BMI of 22.
The healthy BMI range
Because those formulas only use height and sex, we also show your healthy weight range from the BMI 18.5–25 band. This range is often more useful, since it gives a band of healthy weights rather than a single target — accommodating different builds.
Read it as a guide, not a goal
None of these methods know your muscle mass, frame size, or body composition. A strong, muscular person can be well above their “ideal” weight and perfectly healthy. Use the number as a rough anchor, and combine it with body fat percentage, waist measurements, and how you actually feel.
Frequently asked questions
What is my ideal weight?
There is no single perfect number. The classic formulas below estimate an ideal body weight from your height and sex, and they typically fall within a few kilograms of each other. A healthy weight is better thought of as a range than a single figure.
Why do the formulas give different answers?
Each was developed at a different time for a different purpose (originally for medication dosing), so they use slightly different baselines. Showing all five — plus the healthy BMI range — gives you a realistic band rather than a false-precision single number.
Do these formulas account for muscle or body type?
No. They use only height and sex, so a muscular or large-framed person may sit above their 'ideal' weight while being perfectly healthy. Pair the result with body fat percentage and how you feel, not the scale alone.