Ideal Weight Calculator
Find your ideal body weight for your height and sex, using the Devine, Robinson and Hamwi formulas plus a healthy BMI range.
What Ideal Weight Really Means
Ideal weight is a range, not a single number. The classic formulas give a point estimate for an average build at your height and sex. They are useful anchors, but two healthy people at the same height can sit several kilograms apart and both be fine.
This tool shows four things at once: three formula estimates, their average, and the full healthy window from a normal BMI. Treat the big number as a middle marker and the range as the space you can move within. That is closer to how the body actually works than chasing one exact figure.
The Three Formulas: Devine, Robinson, Hamwi
Each formula uses the same idea: a base weight at 5 feet, plus a set amount for every inch above that. They differ in the base and the step size, so they read a little differently.
Take a man at 180 cm. Devine returns 75.0 kg, Robinson returns 72.6 kg, and Hamwi returns 77.3 kg. Devine grew out of medication dosing and lands in the middle. Robinson reads lowest of the three. Hamwi reads highest. The gap between them is only about 5 kg, which shows how much the answer depends on the method, not just on you.
Because no one formula is the truth, the tool averages all three for its headline figure. For that 180 cm man the average is 75.0 kg. If you want a single number to aim near, the average is a sensible pick.
Why a Healthy BMI Range Matters Too
The formulas give one value each. A healthy BMI range gives the full span. The tool computes the weights for BMI 18.5 to 24.9 at your height, so you see the lowest and highest healthy weights, not just a midpoint.
That range is wide on purpose. To check where a specific weight falls inside it, use the BMI calculator. Seeing the range next to the formula numbers makes one thing clear: there is room to be healthy at many weights, not one.
Body Composition Beats a Single Number
The formulas assume an average build. They do not know how much of your weight is muscle and how much is fat. A trained person can weigh more than ideal weight predicts and still be lean, because muscle is denser than fat. Check your make-up with the body fat calculator before you fix a goal.
Once you have a target weight in mind, the next question is how to reach it. The calorie calculator tells you how many calories to eat per day to get there, and the calorie deficit calculator maps out the pace of loss.
A number on a screen is just a start. The Velpa app logs your weight and steps in one private place, so you can watch the trend and see if you are moving toward your range.
Frequently asked questions
- What is my ideal weight?
- Your ideal weight is a healthy range, not one exact number. Enter your height and sex above and the tool shows three classic estimates: Devine, Robinson and Hamwi. For a 180 cm man those land at 75.0, 72.6 and 77.3 kg. It also shows the full healthy range from BMI 18.5 to 24.9, which for that height runs from about 59.9 to 80.7 kg.
- How is ideal body weight calculated?
- Each formula starts from a base weight at 5 feet (152 cm) and adds a fixed amount per inch above that. Devine adds 2.3 kg per inch for men, Robinson adds 1.9 kg, Hamwi adds 2.7 kg. Women use a lower base and smaller steps. The tool runs all three from your height and sex, then averages them for the headline number.
- Which formula should I use, Devine, Robinson or Hamwi?
- No single one is correct. Devine came from drug dosing and tends to sit in the middle. Robinson reads a little lower. Hamwi reads a little higher. They differ by a few kilograms at most. The average of the three is a reasonable single figure, and the healthy BMI range tells you how much room sits around it.
- Why does the calculator also show a BMI range?
- The three formulas give point estimates. A healthy BMI range from 18.5 to 24.9 gives the full window of weights that count as healthy for your height. Real people are healthy across that whole span. Use the range to see how much flexibility you have, not just one target.
- Is ideal weight the same as a good goal weight?
- Not always. These numbers assume an average build. A muscular person can weigh more than the formulas suggest and still be lean, since muscle is denser than fat. Use ideal weight as a guide, then check body composition with a body fat estimate before you set a hard goal.