Ideal Body Weight
There is no single ideal weight, but there is a sensible range, and it comes straight from the BMI bands.
Ideal body weight is best read as the BMI healthy band, 18.5 to 24.9, converted back to pounds or kilograms for your height. At 5 ft 10 in that gives roughly 129 to 174 pounds; at 5 ft 5 in it gives roughly 114 to 149 pounds. Older formulas like Devine or Robinson give single numbers near the middle of this band, but the range is more honest than any single target.
From BMI band to weight range
Multiply 18.5 and 24.9 by your height squared, in meters for kilograms or with the 703 constant for pounds. That is the whole method, and it is why the healthy band is wide: a 5 ft 10 in adult gets 129 to 174 pounds.
Aim for the band, not a point. Bodies differ in frame size and muscle, and any single ideal number pretends otherwise.
The classic single-number formulas
The Devine formula (1974) gives 50 kg plus 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet for men, and 45.5 kg plus 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet for women. Robinson, Miller, and Hamwi are variations on the same idea.
These were built for drug dosing, not for life goals. They land inside the BMI healthy band, which is the more useful target for most people.
Picking your personal target
Start in the middle of your band and adjust for frame and muscle. Broad-shouldered or muscular builds do well toward the top of the band; small frames toward the bottom.
Then stop chasing the number and watch the signals that matter: energy, strength, sleep, bloodwork, and how your clothes fit. The scale is one input among several.
Skip the arithmetic
See your personal healthy weight range on the calculator.
Ideal body weight questions
What is the ideal weight for 5 ft 10 in?
Using the BMI healthy band of 18.5 to 24.9, a 5 ft 10 in adult lands between about 129 and 174 pounds. Muscular builds fit better toward the top of the band.
Is there one ideal weight for my height?
No. Frame size, muscle mass, age, and sex all shift where you land. The BMI healthy band gives you a range, and that range is more truthful than any single-number formula.
What is the Devine ideal body weight formula?
The Devine formula from 1974 was designed for medication dosing: 50 kilograms plus 2.3 per inch over five feet for men, 45.5 plus 2.3 per inch over five feet for women. It lands inside the BMI healthy band for most heights.