Height Converter: Convert Between cm, Feet, Inches, and Meters Instantly
Height is measured in different units around the world. Medical records in most countries use centimetres. The United States and a handful of others use feet and inches. Scientists use metres. This converter handles all four units in one step — no manual arithmetic needed.
The Conversion Formulas
1 foot = 30.48 cm
1 inch = 2.54 cm
1 metre = 100 cm
1 foot = 12 inches
Worked Examples
5 feet 10 inches to cm:
(5 × 30.48) + (10 × 2.54) = 152.4 + 25.4 = 177.8 cm
175 cm to feet and inches:
175 ÷ 30.48 = 5.741 ft = 5 ft + (0.741 × 12) = 5 ft 8.9 in
Do all conversions instantly with our Height Converter.
Common Height Conversions
| Feet & Inches | Centimetres | Metres |
|---|
| 5′ 0″ | 152.4 cm | 1.524 m |
| 5′ 4″ | 162.6 cm | 1.626 m |
| 5′ 7″ | 170.2 cm | 1.702 m |
| 5′ 10″ | 177.8 cm | 1.778 m |
| 6′ 0″ | 182.9 cm | 1.829 m |
| 6′ 3″ | 190.5 cm | 1.905 m |
When You Need Height Conversion
- BMI calculation. All BMI formulas require height and weight in consistent units. Incorrect height conversion is one of the most common BMI calculation errors.
- Medical records. Hospitals in most countries record height in cm. US patients often only know their height in feet and inches.
- Drug dosing. Some medications — particularly in oncology and anaesthesia — are dosed based on height and weight (body surface area).
- Sports and fitness. Jumping norms, stride length calculations, and ideal weight formulas all use height in specific units.
- International travel and forms. Visa applications, driving licences, and identity documents ask for height in different units by country.
Practical Tips
Measure in the morning. Height decreases slightly throughout the day as spinal discs compress — you can be up to 1 cm shorter by evening. Medical height measurements are standardised to morning measurement for this reason.
Stand straight for accurate measurement. Stand with heels together, back straight, and chin parallel to the floor. Look straight ahead. Have someone mark the top of your head against a wall.
Height decreases with age. The average person loses 2.5–5 cm in height between ages 30 and 70 due to spinal compression and disc degeneration.
Final Thoughts
Height conversion is simple once you know the exact conversion factors. This calculator takes care of all the arithmetic — saving you time and preventing the common rounding errors that occur in manual conversion.
Convert your height instantly with our free Height Converter — all four units in one result.