BodyCalThere isn't one perfect number
It's the most natural question — what should I weigh? — but the honest answer is that there's no single ideal weight for a given height. Healthy bodies come in a range, and where you sit in it depends on your build, muscle mass, and frame. Chasing one exact number often does more harm than good.
What you can pin down is a healthy weight range for your height, plus a rough ideal-weight estimate from established formulas. Together they give you a sensible target zone rather than a single, arbitrary figure.
Your healthy weight range
The most widely used guide is the healthy BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9. Applied to your height, that translates into a weight band — for example, someone 5 foot 9 (175 cm) has a healthy range of roughly 57 to 76 kg (125 to 168 lb). Anywhere in that band is considered a healthy weight for that height.
That the range is so wide is the point: a lean, muscular person and a lighter-framed person of the same height can both be perfectly healthy at quite different weights.
Ideal weight formulas
If you want a single reference point inside the range, several peer-reviewed formulas — Devine, Robinson, Miller, and Hamwi — estimate an ideal body weight from your height and sex. They were originally created for medical dosing, and they tend to cluster around the middle of the healthy BMI band.
Our ideal weight calculator runs all four at once and averages them, then shows your healthy BMI range alongside, so you get both a target number and the sensible zone around it.
Why the range matters more than the number
BMI-based ranges and ideal-weight formulas share one blind spot: they only know your height and weight, not your body composition. A muscular athlete can weigh above the range and be very healthy, while someone within it can carry excess fat and little muscle. That's why the number is a starting point, not a verdict.
For a truer read, check your body fat percentage and waist measurement too. If both are healthy, your exact weight matters far less than the scale suggests.
Finding your target
Start with your healthy weight range, use the ideal-weight estimate as a midpoint if you like a concrete goal, then sanity-check it against how you look, feel, and perform. Aim for a weight you can maintain with habits you actually enjoy — that's the one that lasts. Use our ideal weight and BMI calculators together to map your personal range.