Convert feet and inches to metres and centimetres
The United Kingdom sits in an unusual position when it comes to measurement systems. While the country officially uses the metric system for most purposes, imperial measurements like feet and inches remain deeply embedded in everyday life. Height is almost always discussed in feet and inches ("I'm five foot ten"), road signs show miles, and property listings frequently use square feet alongside square metres. This converter bridges the gap between the two systems, letting you instantly convert feet and inches to metres and centimetres, or go the other way. Whether you are filling in a medical form that asks for your height in centimetres, comparing furniture dimensions from a European retailer, or simply curious about the metric equivalent of a measurement, this tool provides the exact answer with decimal precision. The conversion is based on the international foot, defined as exactly 0.3048 metres since 1959. One inch equals exactly 0.0254 metres. These are not approximations but exact definitions, making the maths straightforward and the results precise.
To use the feet to metres converter: 1. Select the conversion direction. Choose "Feet and Inches to Metres" if you have an imperial measurement and want the metric equivalent. Choose "Metres to Feet and Inches" if you have a metric value and want to express it in imperial. 2. For feet-to-metres conversion: Enter the number of feet and the number of inches separately. For example, if you are 5 feet 10 inches tall, enter 5 in the feet field and 10 in the inches field. The converter will display the result in metres and centimetres. 3. For metres-to-feet conversion: Enter the value in metres. For example, enter 1.78 to find out how many feet and inches that equals. The converter will show the total in decimal feet, plus the whole feet and remaining inches. 4. The result updates instantly as you type, so you can experiment with different values to get a feel for the relationship between the two systems.
The conversion formulas are based on exact international definitions: Feet to Metres: Total metres = (feet x 0.3048) + (inches x 0.0254) Centimetres = total metres x 100 Example: 5ft 10in = (5 x 0.3048) + (10 x 0.0254) = 1.524 + 0.254 = 1.778 metres (177.8 cm) Metres to Feet: Total feet (decimal) = metres / 0.3048 Whole feet = floor of total feet Remaining inches = (total feet - whole feet) x 12 Example: 1.75m = 1.75 / 0.3048 = 5.7415 feet, which is 5 feet and 0.7415 x 12 = 8.9 inches These conversion factors are exact, not rounded. One foot is defined as precisely 0.3048 metres, and one inch as precisely 0.0254 metres. The results in this calculator carry four decimal places for accuracy, though for everyday use rounding to one or two decimal places is usually sufficient.
Common reference points that help build intuition: 5 feet = 1.524m, 5ft 6in = 1.676m, 6 feet = 1.829m. The average UK male height is roughly 5ft 9in (1.753m), and the average UK female height is roughly 5ft 3in (1.613m). For property measurements, one metre is approximately 3 feet 3.37 inches. If you are working with area measurements rather than linear ones, try our Square Foot Calculator, which handles the conversion from square feet to square metres automatically.