📏 Ideal Weight by Height Chart
Recommended weight ranges by height for men and women.
Written by Albert Mateos · Founder & Editor
Last reviewed: May 2, 2026
This chart shows ideal body weight ranges by height for adult men and women, calculated using the Devine formula along with adjustments from Robinson, Miller, and Hamwi methods. These ranges represent a healthy weight window rather than a single target number. Individual factors such as muscle mass, bone density, and body composition may shift your personal ideal weight outside these ranges.
| Height | Height (cm) | Men (lbs) | Men (kg) | Women (lbs) | Women (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4'10" | 147 cm | 102-115 | 46-52 | 91-104 | 41-47 |
| 5'0" | 152 cm | 106-121 | 48-55 | 95-110 | 43-50 |
| 5'2" | 157 cm | 115-131 | 52-59 | 104-119 | 47-54 |
| 5'4" | 163 cm | 124-141 | 56-64 | 113-128 | 51-58 |
| 5'6" | 168 cm | 133-150 | 60-68 | 122-137 | 55-62 |
| 5'8" | 173 cm | 142-160 | 64-73 | 131-147 | 59-67 |
| 5'10" | 178 cm | 151-170 | 69-77 | 140-156 | 64-71 |
| 6'0" | 183 cm | 160-180 | 73-82 | 149-165 | 68-75 |
| 6'2" | 188 cm | 171-190 | 78-86 | 158-175 | 72-79 |
| 6'4" | 193 cm | 182-200 | 83-91 | 167-184 | 76-83 |
Data source: Derived from the Devine (1974), Robinson (1983), Miller (1983), and Hamwi (1964) ideal body weight formulas. Ranges represent the spread across all four methods. These are general guidelines and do not account for individual body composition or muscle mass.
About this chart
Ideal weight chart showing recommended weight ranges by height for men and women. Combines multiple established formulas including Devine, Robinson, Miller, and Hamwi to provide a comprehensive healthy weight range. Use this reference table to find a realistic target weight based on your height and sex.
History of ideal weight charts
Ideal body weight tables originated with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, whose height-weight tables of 1942 and 1959 used actuarial mortality data to recommend weight bands by frame size. Clinical formulas followed: Hamwi (1964), designed for medication dosing, then Devine (1974), originally to dose aminoglycoside antibiotics, then Robinson (1983) and Miller (1983), refinements published in the same year in Clinical Pharmacy. Devine's formula remains the most widely cited despite its origin outside body composition research, simply because it produced reasonable midpoints for the average adult population.
How to read this chart step by step
- Locate your height row in centimetres or feet/inches.
- Find the column matching your sex; female ideal weights run roughly 5-10 kg below male at the same height.
- Read the ideal weight estimates from each formula (Devine, Robinson, Miller, Hamwi); they typically span a 5-8 kg range.
- Use the median of the four formulas as a practical reference, not a single value.
- Compare against your current BMI to sanity-check; the chart is a midpoint, not a goal.
Examples by age and sex
A 175 cm man (5'9"): Devine gives 72.6 kg, Robinson 71.6 kg, Miller 70.8 kg, Hamwi 75.7 kg, with a median near 72 kg. A 162 cm woman: Devine 54.7 kg, Robinson 54.5 kg, Miller 54.6 kg, Hamwi 53.5 kg, clustered tightly around 54 kg. A 188 cm tall man: Devine 84.1 kg, Hamwi 91 kg, with the spread widening at the extremes, which is one of the known weaknesses of these formulas at heights above 188 cm or below 152 cm.
Limitations
These formulas were not derived for healthy populations; Devine and Hamwi were drug-dosing tools repurposed for nutrition. They do not account for frame size, lean mass, age, or ethnicity, and they systematically underestimate appropriate weight for muscular individuals and overestimate it for petite or sarcopenic adults. Modern guidance prefers BMI bands (18.5-24.9) combined with waist circumference. The chart is useful as a reference midpoint, not a clinical target, and should never override an evaluation based on body composition and metabolic markers.
Sources
- Devine BJ. Gentamicin therapy. Drug Intell Clin Pharm. 1974;8:650-655.
- Robinson JD, Lupkiewicz SM, Palenik L, et al. Determination of ideal body weight for drug dosage calculations. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1983;40(6):1016-1019.
- Miller DR, Carlson JD, Loyd BJ, Day BJ. Determining ideal body weight. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1983;40(11):1622.
- Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. New weight standards for men and women. Stat Bull Metrop Life Insur Co. 1959;40:1-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is ideal weight calculated?
- Several established formulas estimate ideal weight based on height, including the Devine, Robinson, Miller, and Hamwi equations. Each produces slightly different results, so most charts present a healthy weight range rather than a single number.
- Is ideal weight the same for men and women?
- No, ideal weight formulas produce different values for men and women of the same height. Men typically have higher ideal weight estimates due to greater average muscle mass and bone density compared to women.
- Should I use ideal weight or BMI to set a goal weight?
- Ideal weight charts and BMI both have limitations since neither accounts for muscle mass, frame size, or body composition. Using both together, along with body fat percentage and waist circumference, gives a much more reliable target range for your goals.