Convert pounds to kilograms
A pound is 0.45359237 kilograms. Type a value in pounds and the result appears straight away. The field takes fractions, so a quarter pound goes in as 1/4 and a 7 lb 11 oz baby as 7 11/16. Below you will find the American gym loading ladder with the plate layout.
How many kilograms are in a pound?
A pound is exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, a little under half a kilo. The formula is kilograms = pounds × 0.4536. The other way round, a kilogram is 2.2046 pounds.[1]
This is the direction you need when a figure has to leave the imperial world: a customs form, a piece of lab work, a European supplier who quotes in kilograms, or a doctor recording a dose per kilogram of body mass.
Where the number 0.45359237 came from, why a pound is written lb and how it differs from a troy pound are explained on the kilograms to pounds converter page, along with the price-per-unit conversion and body weight in stone.
How do you convert pounds to kilograms in your head?
The simplest method is to divide the pounds by 2.2. A hundred and fifty pounds gives 68.2 kilograms against an exact 68.04, an error of 0.2%. That is enough to judge whether a parcel clears a limit or a load on the bar is within reach.
If you would rather not divide by a decimal, halve the number and take off a tenth. A hundred and fifty pounds: half is 75, minus 7.5 leaves 67.5 kilograms. This one undershoots by just under a percent.
For an order, an invoice or any paperwork, use the converter, because both methods are approximations. At 300 pounds the first is out by 0.3 kilograms and the second by more than half a kilogram.
Pounds to kilograms conversion table
The table covers the values that come up most often in this conversion: baggage limits, training loads and body weights. The range runs from 1 to 300 pounds and results are rounded to two decimal places.
| Pounds (lb) | Kilograms |
|---|---|
| 1 lb | 0.45 kg |
| 2 lb | 0.91 kg |
| 3 lb | 1.36 kg |
| 4 lb | 1.81 kg |
| 5 lb | 2.27 kg |
| 10 lb | 4.54 kg |
| 15 lb | 6.80 kg |
| 20 lb | 9.07 kg |
| 25 lb | 11.34 kg |
| 30 lb | 13.61 kg |
| 35 lb | 15.88 kg |
| 40 lb | 18.14 kg |
| 45 lb | 20.41 kg |
| 50 lb | 22.68 kg |
| 55 lb | 24.95 kg |
| 60 lb | 27.22 kg |
| 65 lb | 29.48 kg |
| 70 lb | 31.75 kg |
| 75 lb | 34.02 kg |
| 80 lb | 36.29 kg |
| 90 lb | 40.82 kg |
| 100 lb | 45.36 kg |
| 110 lb | 49.90 kg |
| 120 lb | 54.43 kg |
| 125 lb | 56.70 kg |
| 130 lb | 58.97 kg |
| 135 lb | 61.23 kg |
| 140 lb | 63.50 kg |
| 145 lb | 65.77 kg |
| 150 lb | 68.04 kg |
| 155 lb | 70.31 kg |
| 160 lb | 72.57 kg |
| 165 lb | 74.84 kg |
| 170 lb | 77.11 kg |
| 175 lb | 79.38 kg |
| 180 lb | 81.65 kg |
| 185 lb | 83.91 kg |
| 190 lb | 86.18 kg |
| 200 lb | 90.72 kg |
| 210 lb | 95.25 kg |
| 220 lb | 99.79 kg |
| 225 lb | 102.06 kg |
| 250 lb | 113.40 kg |
| 275 lb | 124.74 kg |
| 300 lb | 136.08 kg |
Working from a figure in kilograms instead? Head to the kilograms to pounds converter, which carries the body-weight table in stone.
Body weight in pounds converted to kilograms
Health apps and BMI calculators outside North America work in kilograms. The table covers the usual range from 88 to 265 pounds, which is roughly 40 to 120 kilograms, in steps that land on whole kilograms on the metric side.
| Body weight (lb) | Kilograms |
|---|---|
| 88 lb | 39.92 kg |
| 99 lb | 44.91 kg |
| 110 lb | 49.90 kg |
| 121 lb | 54.88 kg |
| 132 lb | 59.87 kg |
| 143 lb | 64.86 kg |
| 154 lb | 69.85 kg |
| 165 lb | 74.84 kg |
| 176 lb | 79.83 kg |
| 187 lb | 84.82 kg |
| 198 lb | 89.81 kg |
| 209 lb | 94.80 kg |
| 220 lb | 99.79 kg |
| 231 lb | 104.78 kg |
| 242 lb | 109.77 kg |
| 265 lb | 120.20 kg |
Want the same weights the other way, with the British stone notation? That table sits on the kilograms to pounds converter page.
The American gym loading ladder
American loads do not climb in tens. They climb in the steps the plates allow: the bar weighs 45 pounds, the standard plate weighs 45 too, and plates go on in pairs. That is where the run of numbers in training programmes and gym videos comes from, usually with no explanation attached.
| Load | Kilograms | What is on the bar |
|---|---|---|
| 45 lb | 20.41 kg | the bar alone, no plates |
| 95 lb | 43.09 kg | bar plus two 25 lb plates |
| 135 lb | 61.23 kg | bar plus two 45 lb plates |
| 185 lb | 83.91 kg | bar plus two 45 lb and two 25 lb plates |
| 225 lb | 102.06 kg | bar plus four 45 lb plates |
| 275 lb | 124.74 kg | bar plus four 45 lb and two 25 lb plates |
| 315 lb | 142.88 kg | bar plus six 45 lb plates |
| 365 lb | 165.56 kg | bar plus six 45 lb and two 25 lb plates |
| 405 lb | 183.70 kg | bar plus eight 45 lb plates |
| 495 lb | 224.53 kg | bar plus ten 45 lb plates |
Mind the equipment gap: an American bar weighs 45 pounds, or 20.41 kilograms, while the Olympic bar used in competition weighs a round 20 kilograms, or 44.09 pounds. They are two different products, not one bar under two names.
When do you need pounds in kilograms?
Four situations where a figure in pounds has to cross into the metric world.
Shipping or customs paperwork
Customs declarations and international carriers work in kilograms. A 50-pound bag is 22.68 kilograms, and the heavier band of 70 pounds is 31.75 kilograms. European carriers set the same two limits as 23 and 32 kilograms, so the pairs are practically interchangeable.Medical records and dosing
Doses are calculated per kilogram of body mass, so a weight taken in pounds has to be converted before it can be used. A 154-pound patient is 69.85 kilograms and a 180-pound patient 81.65 kilograms.Comparing lifts with metric plates
A gym outside North America loads 20 kg plates onto a 20 kg bar, so the familiar numbers do not appear. 135 pounds is 61.23 kilograms and 225 pounds is 102.06 kilograms. The ladder above gives the whole run with the plate layout.A birth weight written in pounds and ounces
Records give newborn weight as pounds and ounces, for example 7 lb 11 oz. A pound holds 16 ounces, so eleven ounces is 11/16 of a pound. You can type that straight in as 7 11/16 and the converter returns 3.49 kilograms. The notation itself is broken down in the ounces to pounds converter.
Convert other units to Kilograms
Convert Pounds (lb) to other units
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Sources
Every figure in the tables was computed from the unit definitions and checked arithmetically before publication. Historical values and the names of local units come from the sources listed above.
Content last reviewed: · written and checked by the Arteon team
Frequently asked questions about converting pounds to kilograms
How many kilograms are in one pound?
One pound is exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, or 453.59 grams. The value is defined rather than measured: a six-nation agreement fixed it in 1959.
Are 2 pounds a kilogram?
No. Two pounds are 0.907 kilograms, 93 grams short of a kilo. The approximation is convenient for rough estimates, but the error scales: a hundred pounds is not 50 kilograms, it is 45.36.
Is a pound half a kilo?
No, though it is close. A pound is 453.59 grams and half a kilo is 500 grams, so the pound is 46 grams lighter. Worth remembering with German and French sources, where Pfund and livre mean exactly 500 grams in everyday speech.
How many kg is 150 lb?
150 pounds is 68.04 kilograms. The sum: 150 × 0.4536. A quick check in your head: 150 ÷ 2.2 is about 68.2, so the answer holds.
How many kg are 180 and 200 lb?
180 pounds is 81.65 kilograms and 200 pounds is 90.72 kilograms. Each comes from multiplying the pounds by 0.4536.
How many kg is 50 lb, the baggage limit?
50 pounds is 22.68 kilograms. That is the standard checked-bag allowance on American carriers. European carriers quote 23 kilograms, so the two differ by only 320 grams.
How many kg are 135 lb and 225 lb on the bench?
135 pounds is 61.23 kilograms and 225 pounds is 102.06 kilograms. Both numbers come from the plate layout: 135 is the bar plus two 45 lb plates, 225 is the bar plus four of them. That is why they recur in every American training programme.
How much does an American barbell weigh in kilograms?
An American bar weighs 45 pounds, or 20.41 kilograms. It is not the same equipment as the Olympic competition bar, which weighs a round 20 kilograms, or 44.09 pounds. The difference is under half a kilogram, but they are two different products.
How do I type a quarter pound, or a weight in pounds and ounces?
Type a quarter pound as 1/4 or 0.25, either works. For pounds and ounces use a mixed fraction, remembering that a pound holds 16 ounces: 7 lb 11 oz goes in as 7 11/16.
What is the formula for converting pounds to kilograms?
The formula is: kilograms = pounds × 0.45359237. The other way round: pounds = kilograms × 2.2046226218.
How do you convert pounds to kilograms without a calculator?
Divide the pounds by 2.2. A hundred and fifty pounds gives 68.2 kilograms against an exact 68.04, an error of 0.2%. A simpler variant: halve the number and take off a tenth, which for 150 pounds gives 67.5 kilograms.
Is a pound the same as an ounce?
No. A pound holds 16 ounces and one ounce is 28.35 grams. For newborn weights and food, Americans quote both units together, as in 7 lb 11 oz. That notation is broken down in the pounds to ounces converter.
How much does a 60 lb and an 80 lb bag of concrete weigh in kilograms?
A 60-pound bag is 27.22 kilograms and an 80-pound bag is 36.29 kilograms. Those are the two standard sizes in American hardware stores, which is why the figures come up on building and renovation jobs.
What do Americans and the British use for body weight?
Americans use pounds, the British colloquially use stone and pounds, where one stone is 14 pounds. Everywhere else the standard is kilograms. Medicine works in kilograms even in English-speaking countries, because doses are calculated per kilogram of body mass.
Have a question or a suggestion?
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