Grip Strength Test & Norms by Age
Grip strength is one of the simplest yet most telling fitness measures — a strong proxy for whole-body strength and a well-studied predictor of healthy aging. Enter your hand-dynamometer reading to see your percentile and rating against U.S. norms for your age and sex.
How to test grip strength
Squeeze a hand dynamometer as hard as you can with your dominant hand, elbow bent ~90°; take the best of 2–3 tries.
Grip strength by age & sex (dominant hand, kilograms)
| Age | 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | 36.2 | 41.4 | 47.8 | 51.2 | 57.9 |
| 25–29 | 33.7 | 43.3 | 49.3 | 59.4 | 66.2 |
| 30–34 | 31.2 | 36.4 | 46.1 | 56.4 | 63.1 |
| 35–39 | 30.3 | 39.7 | 50.1 | 54.3 | 60.8 |
| 40–44 | 34.3 | 39.9 | 45.9 | 54.4 | 63.1 |
| 45–49 | 31.1 | 35.8 | 40.7 | 48.2 | 59.2 |
| 50–54 | 30.4 | 39.0 | 44.8 | 52.3 | 56.7 |
| 55–59 | 28.2 | 32.4 | 38.7 | 47.8 | 56.3 |
| 60–64 | 23.3 | 30.4 | 40.3 | 44.9 | 52.5 |
| 65–69 | 17.8 | 31.5 | 36.6 | 45.8 | 50.1 |
| 70–74 | 16.7 | 29.3 | 36.3 | 41.2 | 45.6 |
| 75–79 | 18.4 | 25.9 | 33.5 | 36.6 | 43.5 |
| 80–85 | 15.6 | 21.5 | 29.5 | 34.6 | 38.2 |
| Age | 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | 17.6 | 22.4 | 28.4 | 33.8 | 38.0 |
| 25–29 | 20.2 | 25.4 | 29.6 | 33.6 | 39.7 |
| 30–34 | 20.5 | 23.9 | 29.8 | 33.0 | 37.1 |
| 35–39 | 20.0 | 24.5 | 30.3 | 33.0 | 38.0 |
| 40–44 | 22.8 | 26.5 | 30.4 | 33.8 | 37.4 |
| 45–49 | 17.7 | 25.2 | 28.7 | 34.4 | 37.6 |
| 50–54 | 19.7 | 24.6 | 28.2 | 32.7 | 35.2 |
| 55–59 | 16.9 | 20.7 | 24.1 | 30.2 | 32.2 |
| 60–64 | 15.9 | 19.2 | 24.4 | 28.1 | 31.8 |
| 65–69 | 11.7 | 19.3 | 22.2 | 25.0 | 31.2 |
| 70–74 | 15.2 | 19.5 | 22.5 | 23.9 | 27.5 |
| 75–79 | 12.6 | 15.7 | 18.2 | 22.4 | 27.8 |
| 80–85 | 14.5 | 16.6 | 19.5 | 21.8 | 27.0 |
Verified source: Hand-grip strength reference values by age & sex — Wang YC, Bohannon RW, Li X, Sindhu B, Kapellusch J — J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, "Hand-Grip Strength: Normative Reference Values… 18 to 85 Years" 48(9):685–693, Table 2 (2018 (U.S. NIH Toolbox, n = 1,232)). Reproduced verbatim and checked cell-by-cell. Dominant-hand percentile values (10th–90th) transcribed verbatim from the primary PDF's Table 2; the men 25–29 mean of 49.7 kg matches the paper's abstract. Official source · Sources & methodology
Frequently asked questions
What is a good grip strength for my age?
It depends on age and sex. U.S. dominant-hand norms peak in the late 20s — about 49 kg (108 lb) at the 50th percentile for men 25–29 and about 30 kg (65 lb) for women — then decline with age. Reaching the 75th percentile for your age is strong; below the 25th is weak. Use the calculator for your exact bracket.
How do you measure grip strength?
With a hand dynamometer (grip strength tester). Stand or sit with your elbow bent ~90°, arm at your side, and squeeze as hard as you can for a few seconds. Use your dominant hand and take the best of 2–3 attempts. These norms are for the dominant hand.
Why does grip strength matter?
It correlates with total-body strength and is a research-backed marker of healthy aging — low grip strength is associated with higher risk of disability and worse health outcomes. It's quick, cheap, and reliable, which is why clinicians and researchers track it.
Where do these grip strength norms come from?
From Wang et al. (Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 2018) — reference values for 1,232 U.S. adults aged 18–85 from the NIH Toolbox normative database, reproduced here verbatim. Values are dominant-hand, in kilograms (with a pounds option).