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Weight Converter: Convert kg, lbs, grams, ounces & More

Calculator200 Editorial Team — published 22 September 2026

A weight converter resolves a problem that recurs across kitchens, gyms, pharmacies, shipping docks, and laboratories: how to translate between metric and imperial units without introducing error. Enter a value in kilograms, pounds, grams, ounces, stones, or metric tons, and the converter returns the equivalent in every other unit simultaneously. Whether you are following a recipe written in cups and ounces, tracking body weight in kilograms and pounds, preparing a parcel for international post, or calculating a medication dose, an accurate weight converter eliminates the ambiguity that arises when unit systems collide.

What Is a Weight Converter and What Does It Do?

At its core, a weight converter measures the same physical quantity expressed in different units. The metric system — grams, kilograms, and metric tons — is used by most countries and in all scientific contexts. The imperial and US customary systems — ounces, pounds, stones, and tons — remain dominant in the United States and are still used for body weight in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The converter works by converting the input value to a base unit (usually kilograms), then expressing that value in the target unit. This two-step process ensures that all conversions use a single, consistent reference point. The conversion factors themselves are fixed mathematical constants, defined by international agreement rather than physical measurement. That means a kilogram always converts to the same number of pounds, regardless of location, temperature, or altitude.

The weight converter on Calculator200 supports all major units and displays every equivalent at once, so you can see not just the answer you need but also the broader context of your measurement.

The Exact Conversion Factors You Need

Precision matters. The difference between using 2.2 and 2.20462 as your kilogram-to-pound factor is small for a single conversion, but it compounds over large weights, repeated calculations, or legal and medical contexts where accuracy carries consequences.

The following table lists the exact conversion factors for the most commonly used weight units. These values are defined by the international yard and pound agreement of 1959 and remain the standard for commercial, scientific, and legal purposes worldwide.

FromToMultiply by
Kilogram (kg)Pound (lb)2.2046226218
Pound (lb)Kilogram (kg)0.45359237
Kilogram (kg)Gram (g)1,000
Gram (g)Ounce (oz)0.0352739619
Ounce (oz)Gram (g)28.349523125
Pound (lb)Ounce (oz)16
Stone (st)Kilogram (kg)6.35029318
Metric ton (t)Kilogram (kg)1,000
US short tonKilogram (kg)907.18474
The kilogram-to-pound factor is defined exactly as 0.45359237 kilograms per pound. This is not an approximation; it is a legal definition adopted by the United States, the United Kingdom, and other nations to standardise trade and commerce.

How to Convert Weight Manually

You can perform the most common conversions without a calculator once you know the factors. The process is straightforward multiplication or division.

Kilograms to Pounds

Multiply the kilogram value by 2.20462. For a 70 kg person, the calculation is 70 × 2.20462 = 154.32 pounds. For a quick estimate, multiply by 2.2. The approximation gives 154 pounds, which is close enough for casual conversation but not for a medical chart or a shipping label.

Pounds to Kilograms

Multiply the pound value by 0.453592. For 150 pounds, the calculation is 150 × 0.453592 = 68.0389 kilograms. The quick method divides by 2.2, which yields 68.18 kilograms — a difference of about 0.14 kilograms, or roughly 5 ounces.

Ounces to Grams

Multiply the ounce value by 28.3495. For 8 ounces, the calculation is 8 × 28.3495 = 226.796 grams. For cooking, 227 grams is the standard rounded figure.

Grams to Ounces

Multiply the gram value by 0.035274. For 100 grams, the calculation is 100 × 0.035274 = 3.5274 ounces. In a kitchen context, 100 grams is often treated as 3.5 ounces.

If you prefer a tool that handles the arithmetic, the kilogram to pound converter on Calculator200 performs these calculations instantly and displays all unit equivalents in a single view.

Weight Conversion in Cooking and Baking

Cooking is where weight conversion first becomes practical for most people. A recipe developed in the United States uses cups, ounces, and pounds. A recipe from Europe or Australia uses grams and kilograms. A British recipe might use stones for body weight but grams for ingredients. The result is a kitchen full of competing unit systems, and a scale that may or may not display the unit the recipe calls for.

Weight and volume are not interchangeable in baking. A cup of flour weighs approximately 120 grams in the United States, but a cup of water weighs approximately 237 grams. A cup of honey weighs about 340 grams. This is why professional bakers weigh ingredients rather than scooping them. A weight converter for cooking that handles grams, ounces, and pounds allows you to follow any recipe accurately, regardless of where it was written.

The following table provides common cooking conversions that home bakers and cooks reference frequently.

Ingredient1 cup (US)1 ounce1 pound
All-purpose flour120 g28 g454 g
Granulated sugar200 g28 g454 g
Butter227 g28 g454 g
Water237 g28 g454 g
Honey340 g28 g454 g

The ounce-to-gram and pound-to-gram figures in the table are consistent across ingredients because they are unit conversions, not ingredient-specific measurements. The cup values vary because a cup measures volume, and different ingredients have different densities.

Body Weight Conversion for Fitness and Health

Body weight is one of the most common personal applications of weight conversion. A person who weighs 70 kilograms may want to know that figure in pounds for a fitness app that uses imperial units. A person who weighs 180 pounds may need to enter their weight in kilograms on a medical form.

The conversion is identical to any other kilogram-to-pound or pound-to-kilogram calculation. What changes is the context. Fitness tracking often uses kilograms, while many gyms in the United States label plates in pounds. A lifter who trains in kilograms and competes in pounds needs to convert back and forth routinely.

For body weight, the quick approximation of dividing by 2.2 or multiplying by 2.2 is usually adequate for casual tracking. For medical records, insurance forms, and clinical settings, the exact factor of 0.45359237 should be used.

Body mass index (BMI) calculations require weight in kilograms and height in metres. If your weight is in pounds, convert it to kilograms first. A BMI calculator that accepts pounds and feet will handle the conversion internally, but understanding the underlying weight conversion helps you verify the result.

Weight Conversion for Shipping and Freight

Shipping is where weight conversion carries financial consequences. Carriers price shipments by weight, and the unit system varies by country and by mode of transport. Air freight often uses kilograms. Ocean freight uses metric tons or cubic metres. Ground carriers in the United States use pounds.

The critical distinction in shipping is between actual weight, volumetric weight, and chargeable weight. Actual weight is what the scale reads. Volumetric weight is a calculated figure based on the dimensions of the package. Chargeable weight is whichever is greater. Converting between kilograms and pounds is only part of the calculation, but it is an essential part.

A weight converter for shipping that handles kilograms, pounds, and metric tons allows you to verify carrier calculations before you commit to a shipment. If a carrier quotes a price based on 50 kilograms and your own conversion of the same package yields 110.23 pounds, you can confirm that the carrier used the correct factor.

UnitEquivalent in kilogramsCommon use
Metric ton (tonne)1,000 kgOcean freight, bulk materials
US short ton907.185 kgUS domestic freight
UK long ton1,016.05 kgHistorical UK shipping
Pound0.453592 kgUS ground carriers, air courier
Ounce0.0283495 kgSmall parcels, letters

Weight Conversion in Science and Medicine

In scientific and medical contexts, precision is not optional. A medication dose calculated in milligrams per kilogram of body weight must use the correct kilogram value. A laboratory reagent measured in grams must be converted accurately from ounces if the protocol was written in imperial units.

The metric system is the standard in science and medicine worldwide. The United States is the main exception in everyday life, but even there, scientific and medical practice uses metric units. A patient who reports their weight in pounds will have that figure converted to kilograms for any clinical calculation.

The conversion from pounds to kilograms is performed by multiplying by 0.45359237. A 200-pound patient weighs 90.7185 kilograms. A 50-kilogram patient weighs 110.231 pounds. These conversions are exact to the precision required for clinical work.

In medical settings, weight is often recorded to the nearest 0.1 kilogram or 0.1 pound. A conversion that rounds to the nearest whole number may introduce unacceptable error for paediatric dosing or chemotherapy calculations. Always use the full precision factor for medical conversions.

Common Mistakes in Weight Conversion

Several errors recur frequently enough to deserve explicit mention.

The first is confusing metric tons with US short tons. A metric ton is 1,000 kilograms. A US short ton is 2,000 pounds, which equals approximately 907.185 kilograms. A UK long ton is 2,240 pounds, approximately 1,016.05 kilograms. The difference between a metric ton and a US short ton is nearly 93 kilograms — enough to change a shipping quote significantly.

The second is using the approximation 2.2 in place of the exact factor 2.20462. For small weights, the error is negligible. For a 1,000-kilogram shipment, the approximation yields 2,200 pounds, while the exact conversion yields 2,204.62 pounds — a difference of 4.62 pounds. For a 10,000-kilogram shipment, the difference is 46.2 pounds.

The third is confusing ounces of weight with fluid ounces of volume. An ounce (oz) is a unit of mass. A fluid ounce (fl oz) is a unit of volume. A fluid ounce of water weighs approximately one ounce, but a fluid ounce of oil weighs less, and a fluid ounce of honey weighs more. Weight and volume are not interchangeable.

Weight Conversion Table for Quick Reference

The following table provides the most commonly needed conversions at a glance. For values not listed, multiply or divide using the factors in the table above.

KilogramsPoundsStonesOunces
1 kg2.205 lb0.157 st35.274 oz
5 kg11.023 lb0.787 st176.37 oz
10 kg22.046 lb1.575 st352.74 oz
25 kg55.116 lb3.937 st881.85 oz
50 kg110.231 lb7.874 st1,763.70 oz
75 kg165.347 lb11.810 st2,645.55 oz
100 kg220.462 lb15.747 st3,527.40 oz

For values between the listed points, interpolate or use the free weight converter for an exact result.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the exact conversion factor for kg to lbs?

The exact international conversion factor is 1 kilogram = 2.2046226218 pounds. This value was defined by the international yard and pound agreement in 1959. For everyday use, multiplying by 2.20462 gives a result accurate to four decimal places.

Why is 1 kg not exactly 2.2 lbs?

The 2.2 figure is a rounded approximation for quick mental math. The exact factor is 2.20462, which is about 0.2% higher. Over large weights, this difference accumulates and can lead to meaningful errors in shipping, medical dosing, or cooking.

How do I convert pounds to kilograms manually?

Multiply the number of pounds by 0.45359237. For a quick approximation, divide the pounds by 2.2. For example, 150 lbs is approximately 68 kg. The exact value is 68.0389 kg.

What is the difference between a metric ton and a US short ton?

A metric ton (tonne) is exactly 1,000 kilograms. A US short ton is 2,000 pounds, which equals approximately 907.185 kilograms. A UK long ton is 2,240 pounds, approximately 1,016.05 kilograms. Confusing these units is one of the most common weight conversion mistakes.

How many grams are in an ounce?

One avoirdupois ounce is exactly 28.349523125 grams. For cooking and everyday use, 28.35 grams is the standard approximation. One ounce is one-sixteenth of a pound.

Can I convert weight units without an internet connection?

Yes. The conversion factors are fixed mathematical constants. You can memorise the key factors (1 kg = 2.20462 lbs, 1 oz = 28.35 g, 1 stone = 6.35029 kg) and perform the calculations manually. Many calculator apps also work offline.

What is the difference between mass and weight?

Mass measures the amount of matter in an object and is measured in kilograms. Weight measures the force of gravity on that mass and is measured in newtons. In everyday language, and in most conversion tools, the terms are used interchangeably. The conversion factors apply to mass, which is what people commonly call weight.

How do I convert stone to kilograms?

Multiply the number of stones by 6.35029. For example, 10 stone is 63.5029 kilograms. One stone equals 14 pounds. Stone is still commonly used for body weight in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

In sum, a weight converter is more than a convenience. It is a precision tool that protects you from the cumulative errors of approximation, the confusion of conflicting unit systems, and the financial and medical consequences of getting the numbers wrong. Whether you are converting kilograms to pounds for a fitness app, grams to ounces for a recipe, metric tons to short tons for a freight quote, or pounds to kilograms for a clinical dose, the weight converter by Calculator200 provides the exact figure and the context you need. Use it with the factors in this guide, and treat every conversion as what it is: a precise translation between two ways of measuring the same physical reality.