Age
Record in yearsThis is a recorded input rather than a body measurement site.
Enter your current age alongside the physical measurements.
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Method guide
Durnin & Womersley Body Fat Calculator
Uses age plus biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds.
Calculate
- Accuracy
- ±3.5-5%Typical error against a reference method
- Equipment
- skinfold calipers
- Measurement count
- 5
Counts include age, weight and height when required.
How to measure
How to take the measurements
Equipment and Good Technique
Use skinfold calipers on bare, dry skin. Mark every landmark before starting. Grasp skin and the fat beneath it between thumb and forefinger, lift the fold away from the muscle, and keep holding it while the caliper jaws close slightly below your fingers. The jaws stay perpendicular to the fold even when the fold itself is diagonal.
Required Inputs and Measurement Locations
Measure every item listed for your calculation. Labels show when an input applies only to men or women.
Bicep Skinfold
Record in mmOn the front of the upper arm, over the biceps.
Fold direction: vertical.
Relax the arm, find the biceps peak, and lift the fold vertically.
Tricep Skinfold
Record in mmOn the back of the upper arm, halfway between the shoulder and elbow.
Fold direction: vertical.
Let the arm hang, mark the midpoint behind it, and lift vertically without tensing the triceps.
Subscapular Skinfold
Record in mmJust below the lower tip of the shoulder blade.
Fold direction: diagonal.
Find the blade tip by touch, mark immediately below it, and lift the fold diagonally.
Suprailiac Skinfold
Record in mmJust above the upper edge of the hip bone.
Fold direction: diagonal.
Find the hip bone’s upper edge, mark just above it, and follow the natural diagonal fold.
Measurement Protocol
Follow this sequence
- Measure under repeatable conditions and record your current age with the skinfold readings.
- Mark every site on the right side of the body before taking the first reading.
- Take one reading at each marked site, waiting briefly before recording the caliper value.
- Rotate through the sites for repeat readings instead of measuring one fold repeatedly without a break.
- Average readings only when they are consistent; otherwise, check the mark, fold direction and caliper position before repeating.
Accuracy and mistakes
How accurate is the Durnin & Womersley method?
Durnin & Womersley has an estimated accuracy range of ±3.5–5% with proper technique. Use that range alongside the method’s practical limitations when deciding whether it suits your measurements.
Who it suits: Caliper users who want one consistent set of upper-body and torso sites, with age included in the calculation.
The trade-off: The site list is compact, but the subscapular fold is difficult to see and measure without assistance.
What This Method Measures
Uses age plus biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds.
Durnin & Womersley combines age with the same set of upper-body and torso skinfolds for men and women: biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac. Every listed input is part of the calculation, so a missing fold or a measurement substituted from another protocol produces the wrong input set.
The method suits someone who wants the same site set for men and women and can reach, or get help with, the rear fold. The site set is fixed, but landmarks behind or beside the body demand careful marking before the first pinch.
- Required inputs
- 5 per calculation.
- Equipment
- Prepare skinfold calipers.
Common mistakes that change the result
- Confusing the biceps site on the front of the arm with the triceps site behind it.
- Placing the subscapular fold beside the shoulder blade instead of below its lower tip.
- Turning the diagonal suprailiac or subscapular fold into a vertical pinch.
- Tensing the upper arm while the biceps or triceps fold is read.
- Recording a caliper value without entering age alongside the site readings.
What the estimate means
The calculator turns the recorded inputs into a body fat percentage estimate. For Durnin & Womersley, the estimated accuracy range is ±3.5–5% with proper technique. A range is not a promise that one reading is exact.
Treat the result as an estimate. When tracking changes, compare readings collected with the same method and procedure. A changed tool, landmark, body side, timing or operator can make readings less comparable. The number does not diagnose health or replace qualified advice, and formulas with different inputs are not interchangeable.
How this compares to other methods
Ordered by typical error, lowest first. Counts include age, weight and height when required.
| Method | AccuracyTypical error against a reference method | Measurement count | Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parrillo | ±3-4% | 10 | skinfold calipers, a body-weight scale |
| Jackson & Pollock 7-Site | ±3-4% | 8 | skinfold calipers |
| Jackson & Pollock 4-Site | ±3.5-4.5% | 5 | skinfold calipers |
| Durnin & WomersleyCurrent method | ±3.5-5% | 5 | skinfold calipers |
| Jackson & Pollock 3-Site | ±4-5% | 4 | skinfold calipers |
| Covert Bailey | ±4-5% | 5 | a soft tape measure |
| U.S. Navy | ±4-6% | 3 for men · 4 for women | a soft tape measure, a reliable way to measure standing height |
| Modified YMCA | ±4-6% | 2 for men · 5 for women | a soft tape measure, a body-weight scale |
| YMCA | ±5-7% | 2 | a soft tape measure, a body-weight scale |
Where to Go Next
Read the evidence guide
Review the sources and limitations behind Durnin & Womersley on its paired research page.
View research →Use the calculator app
Take your prepared readings to Body Fat Calculator, select Durnin & Womersley, and enter the measurements listed for your calculation.
PRO+ includes measurement history and progress tracking in the app. You can also sync app results with Apple Health on iOS when you enable the integration and grant permission.
Get the app →