An ideal weight calculator estimates a target weight range based on your height and sex. Unlike a BMI calculator — which tells you whether your current weight is healthy — an ideal weight calculator gives you a concrete target to aim for. This calculator uses four established medical formulas and presents the results as a range, giving you a more realistic picture than any single formula alone.
Not sure how your current weight compares? Try our BMI Calculator first, then use our Daily Calorie Needs Calculator and Macro Calculator to build a plan for getting there.
🧮 Calculate Your Ideal Weight
About the Four Formulas
Rather than relying on a single formula, this calculator uses four established methods and presents the range of results. Each formula was developed independently and produces slightly different figures — the spread between them gives you a realistic target zone rather than a single potentially misleading number.
Devine Formula (1974) — developed by Dr B.J. Devine for clinical pharmacology. The most widely cited ideal body weight formula in medical literature and still commonly used in hospitals for medication dosing.
Hamwi Formula (1964) — developed by Dr G.J. Hamwi and widely used by dietitians and nutritionists. Often produces slightly higher results than Devine.
Robinson Formula (1983) — a refinement of the Devine formula developed by Robinson et al.
Miller Formula (1983) — developed independently in the same year as Robinson. Tends to produce slightly higher ideal weights than the other formulas.
Healthy BMI Range — the weight range corresponding to a BMI of 18.5–24.9 for your height, as defined as healthy weight by the CDC and WHO.
Limitations of Ideal Weight Formulas
Frame size is ignored. People naturally vary in bone density and frame size. A large-framed person will healthily carry more weight than a small-framed person of the same height.
Age is not considered. Older adults naturally experience changes in body composition that the formulas do not account for. What constitutes a healthy weight in your 20s may differ from what is healthy in your 60s.
They were not designed for short or very tall people. The linear formulas become less accurate at extreme heights. Below 5 feet and above 6'5", the results should be treated with extra caution.
Ethnic variation exists. Research suggests that cardiovascular and metabolic health risks begin at different weight thresholds for different ethnic groups.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly — 'ideal weight' is a useful estimate, not a precise number. Various formulas (Devine, Robinson, Miller, Hamwi) produce slightly different estimates and are based on early 20th century data.
A healthier framing is 'healthy weight range' — typically a 20-30 pound range for any given height. Body composition, frame size, and personal goals matter more than hitting a specific number.
All major formulas (Devine, Robinson, Miller, Hamwi) produce similar estimates, typically within 5-10 pounds of each other. None is universally 'correct' — they were developed for different purposes.
Devine's formula was originally for medication dosing. Robinson and Miller revised Devine to reduce overestimation for taller people. For a more body-composition-aware estimate, consider BMI ranges (18.5-24.9) alongside these formulas.
Ideal weight formulas and BMI ranges use different methodologies. BMI gives a wider acceptable range — the 18.5-24.9 BMI range for a 5'10" person is roughly 130-174 lbs.
Ideal weight formulas give a single number within that range. Both are estimates with similar limitations — neither accounts for muscle mass, frame size, or body composition.
No. Ideal weight formulas (like BMI) overestimate fatness for muscular individuals. A muscular athlete may weigh significantly more than the 'ideal' for their height while having very low body fat.
For muscular people, body fat percentage and waist-to-height ratio are more meaningful health metrics than weight relative to height. Use ideal weight as a rough starting point, not a definitive target.
A healthy weight range is typically defined by BMI 18.5-24.9. For example, at 5'4" that's roughly 108-145 lbs; at 5'10" it's 130-174 lbs; at 6'0" it's 140-184 lbs.
Where you sit within that range depends on body composition, frame size, and activity level. The bottom of the range is appropriate for less muscular builds; the top suits more athletic builds.
Most experts recommend 1-2 pounds per week as the maximum sustainable rate. A 500 calorie daily deficit produces about 1 pound per week.
Aggressive weight loss (more than 2 lbs per week) typically results in muscle loss and is harder to maintain. Plan for a longer timeline than feels intuitive — losing 30 pounds at 1 lb/week takes 30 weeks, which is normal and healthy.
Yes, modestly. Most experts accept that 'ideal weight' shifts slightly upward with age — people in their 50s and 60s tend to be healthier at the upper end of the normal BMI range than at the lower end.
After 65, very low body weight is associated with higher mortality risk. Maintaining muscle mass through resistance training becomes more important than chasing a specific weight number.
It might be. The traditional ideal weight formulas were calibrated for averaged populations and don't account for individual variation in frame size, muscle mass, or natural set point.
If your calculated ideal weight feels significantly lower than your historical comfortable weight, consider that your personal healthy range may sit at the higher end of the BMI normal range. Health markers like blood pressure, lipids, fasting glucose, and waist circumference matter more than a specific weight number.
Your ideal weight is the destination. Hitting it requires daily tracking. Our AI tracker logs meals from a quick description in seconds — "2 eggs, oatmeal with berries" — and calculates calories automatically. 100% free.
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