Calculators & everyday math
Pounds vs. Kilograms: How to Convert Weight
Pounds and kilograms are the two most common units for weighing people, parcels, and groceries. The link between them is one exact number, and two simple shortcuts get you close without a calculator. This guide covers both, plus the difference between weight and mass.
Ready to try the tool this guide describes?
The exact definition
Since 1959 the international pound has been exactly 0.45359237 kilograms. That makes 1 kilogram about 2.204622622 pounds.
Mental shortcuts
- Kilograms to pounds: multiply by 2.2. 70 kg is about 154 lb (exactly 154.3235835).
- Pounds to kilograms: halve it, then take off a tenth of the result. 150 lb → 75 → 67.5 kg (exactly 68.0388555).
Common weights
| Kilograms | Pounds |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2.204622622 |
| 5 | 11.02311311 |
| 10 | 22.04622622 |
| 50 | 110.2311311 |
| 70 | 154.3235835 |
| 100 | 220.4622622 |
Weight or mass?
Strictly, kilograms and pounds measure mass — the amount of matter — while weight is the force of gravity on it. On Earth the two go together, which is why everyday language calls both “weight” and why a converter can treat them the same way.
Pounds vs. Kilograms FAQ
- How many pounds are in a kilogram?
- About 2.204622622.
- How many kilograms is 200 pounds?
- Exactly 90.718474 kg.
- Is a kilogram heavier than a pound?
- Yes — a kilogram is about 2.2 times as heavy as a pound.
- Why is the pound exactly 0.45359237 kg?
- It was fixed at that value in 1959 so that the pound would be identical in the countries that use it, and defined in terms of the kilogram.
- Do kitchen scales use the same pound?
- Yes. The same avoirdupois pound is used for food, people, and parcels.
Related guides
- Ounces, Pounds, and StoneHow ounces, pounds, and stone fit together, how body weight in stone converts to kilograms, and why troy ounces and fluid ounces are different.
- Tonnes vs. TonsWhy a ton can mean 2,000, 2,204.6, or 2,240 pounds, how much the metric tonne, US short ton, and UK long ton differ, and where each is used.
Open the tool
Jump into Weight Converter when you are ready to process your files.
