Pounds to Ounces: Cooking, Shipping and Baby Weight for Americans

Published on June 24, 2026 · 8 min read

Your recipe calls for 12 ounces of chicken breast but the package shows weight in pounds. Your newborn is 7 lbs 11 oz and you are trying to track their weight gain in ounces per day. Your shipping label asks for total weight in ounces but your postal scale shows pounds and decimals. Pounds and ounces are both American — but switching between them trips people up every day. This guide makes it automatic.

The Exact Formula

1 pound = 16 ounces (exact, by definition)

Ounces = Pounds × 16

Pounds = Ounces ÷ 16

Unlike most conversions, this one is a clean whole number — exactly 16. No rounding, no approximation. Multiply pounds by 16 to get ounces. Divide ounces by 16 to get pounds.

Complete Reference Table: Pounds to Ounces

Pounds	Ounces	Grams	Context
¼ lb	4 oz	113 g	Quarter pound — burger patty
⅓ lb	5.3 oz	151 g	Third-pound burger
½ lb	8 oz	227 g	Half pound — standard steak portion
¾ lb	12 oz	340 g	Can of soda / can of beer weight
1 lb	16 oz	454 g	Standard pound — butter, ground beef
1¼ lb	20 oz	567 g	Large soda / large steak
1½ lb	24 oz	680 g	Large chicken breast pack
2 lb	32 oz	907 g	Large ground beef pack
2.5 lb	40 oz	1134 g	Large bag of sugar (small)
3 lb	48 oz	1361 g	Large roast / bag of onions
4 lb	64 oz	1814 g	Large pork shoulder
5 lb	80 oz	2268 g	Bag of flour / potatoes
6 lb	96 oz	2722 g	Large whole chicken
8 lb	128 oz	3629 g	Newborn baby (average)
10 lb	160 oz	4536 g	Large baby / small turkey
12 lb	192 oz	5443 g	Average turkey (small)
15 lb	240 oz	6804 g	Thanksgiving turkey (medium)
20 lb	320 oz	9072 g	Large Thanksgiving turkey

Baby Weight: Pounds & Ounces Explained

Americans report baby weight in pounds and ounces (e.g., 7 lbs 11 oz). Pediatric charts track weight gain in ounces per week. Here is how to read and convert baby weights:

lbs & oz	Total oz	Grams (kg)	Context
5 lb 8 oz	88 oz	2495 g (2.5 kg)	Small newborn
6 lb 0 oz	96 oz	2722 g (2.7 kg)	Below average newborn
7 lb 0 oz	112 oz	3175 g (3.2 kg)	Average newborn (low)
7 lb 8 oz	120 oz	3402 g (3.4 kg)	Average US newborn
8 lb 0 oz	128 oz	3629 g (3.6 kg)	Average newborn (high)
8 lb 8 oz	136 oz	3856 g (3.9 kg)	Larger newborn
9 lb 0 oz	144 oz	4082 g (4.1 kg)	Large newborn
10 lb 0 oz	160 oz	4536 g (4.5 kg)	Very large newborn

Healthy newborns typically gain 5–7 oz (142–198 g) per week in the first few months. Pediatricians track this closely — knowing how to convert between lbs/oz and grams helps when comparing notes with international family members or using a European baby scale.

Shipping: USPS and Carrier Weight Thresholds

USPS First Class mail has an ounce-based pricing structure. UPS and FedEx use pounds. Here are the thresholds that affect shipping cost:

Pounds	Ounces	Shipping Context
0.063 lb	1 oz	Letter rate (USPS)
0.188 lb	3 oz	Heavy letter max (USPS)
0.5 lb	8 oz	Small flat rate envelope
0.75 lb	12 oz	USPS First Class Package max
1 lb	16 oz	UPS/FedEx first weight break
2 lb	32 oz	Standard small box
5 lb	80 oz	Medium box price break
10 lb	160 oz	Large box threshold
70 lb	1120 oz	USPS Priority Mail max weight

Convert Any Weight Instantly

For any weight conversion use the ConvertProf Weight Converter. Handles pounds, ounces, grams, kilograms, and more — exact factors, works offline.