Calculator · Frame
Body Frame Size Calculator
Are you small, medium or large framed? This free body frame size calculator uses your height and wrist measurement, the method published by MedlinePlus, to find your frame size. It also shows an ideal weight adjusted for your frame and the healthy weight range for your height.
Your body frame size
What is body frame size?
Body frame size describes how big your skeleton is for your height: small, medium or large. Two people of the same height can have very different bone structures, and a larger frame naturally carries a little more weight. That’s why frame size is often used to fine-tune an ideal body weight. It’s different from body shape, which is about how your bust, waist and hips compare.
The simplest way to estimate it is with your wrist, because the wrist has very little fat or muscle, so its size mostly reflects your bones.
How to measure your wrist for frame size
- Find your wrist bone, the bony bump on the little-finger side of your wrist.
- Wrap a soft tape measure around your wrist just above the bone, on the side towards your hand.
- Keep the tape snug but not tight, and read the measurement. The body frame size calculator works in inches or cm.
No tape? Use a strip of paper or string, mark where it overlaps, and measure it with a ruler. For your height, follow the steps in how to measure your body.
Body frame size chart (wrist and height)
The body frame size calculator uses these cutoffs from the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.
Women
| Height | Small frame | Medium frame | Large frame |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5’2″ (157 cm) | under 5.5 in | 5.5–5.75 in | over 5.75 in |
| 5’2″ to 5’5″ (157–165 cm) | under 6 in | 6–6.25 in | over 6.25 in |
| Over 5’5″ (165 cm) | under 6.25 in | 6.25–6.5 in | over 6.5 in |
Men
| Height | Small frame | Medium frame | Large frame |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 5’5″ (165 cm) | 5.5–6.5 in | 6.5–7.5 in | over 7.5 in |
Source: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, “Calculating body frame size”. The chart gives men’s cutoffs only for heights over 5’5″, so the calculator uses the same cutoffs for shorter men and says so in the result.
Quick frame size test without a tape
Wrap your thumb and middle finger around the opposite wrist, just above the wrist bone:
- Fingers overlap: likely a small frame.
- Fingers just touch: likely a medium frame.
- Fingers don’t meet: likely a large frame.
It’s a rough check, because hand size varies too. The tape measurement above is more reliable.
Body frame size and ideal weight
As an ideal body weight calculator, it gives two weight guides by frame size, because no single number is “ideal” for everyone:
- Ideal weight by frame (Hamwi formula): for women, 100 lb for the first 5 feet plus 5 lb for every inch over; for men, 106 lb plus 6 lb per inch. Subtract 10% for a small frame and add 10% for a large frame. The calculator shows the result as a range of 5% either side.
- Healthy weight range (BMI 18.5 to 24.9): the range of weights that gives a healthy BMI at your height.
The Hamwi formula is a quick clinical estimate from the 1960s and works best for average-height adults; the BMI range is wider and doesn’t depend on frame. Use them as guides alongside your waist size, which says more about health risk. Check it in the waist to height ratio calculator.
Limits of body frame size
Some charts use elbow breadth (the width across the elbow bones with the arm bent at 90 degrees) instead of the wrist; both estimate the same thing. Wrist size is only an estimate of your skeleton. Muscular forearms, swelling or a wrist injury can change the result, and the cutoffs were set for adults, so they don’t apply to children or teens. Frame size explains only a few pounds of difference between people, not large differences in weight. For a fuller picture, the body measurements calculator adds body fat, BMI and waist ratios.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ideal weight for a 5’7″ female with a large frame?
Using the Hamwi formula, the base ideal weight for a 5’7″ woman is 135 lb (100 lb plus 5 lb for each of the 7 inches over 5 feet). Adding 10% for a large frame gives about 149 lb. The healthy BMI range at 5’7″ is wider, roughly 118 to 159 lb, so anywhere in that range can be healthy.
How do I tell if I am large boned?
Measure your wrist and compare it with the frame size chart for your height, or try the finger test: if your thumb and middle finger don’t meet around your wrist, you probably have a large frame. Keep in mind that a large frame accounts for only about 10% more weight, so it rarely explains a big difference on the scale.