Average Grip Strength by Age and Sex: Reference Chart (kg)

Q: What is a good grip strength?

For most healthy adult men, a dominant-hand dynamometer reading around 45-50 kg or above is solid; for women, around 28-32 kg or above. Readings well above the average band for your age and sex indicate a trained grip. Cut-offs used in clinical screening are much lower — under about 27 kg for men and 16 kg for women is commonly flagged as low.

Q: At what age is grip strength highest?

Population studies consistently show grip strength peaking between roughly 25 and 39 years of age for both sexes, then declining gradually — with a steeper drop after about 60. Trained individuals routinely hold or build strength well past those ages.

Q: Is one hand normally stronger than the other?

Yes. The dominant hand is commonly around 5-10% stronger. Much larger or growing gaps are worth training against, and after an injury the between-hand gap is itself the most useful progress measure.

The reference chart

The ranges below are approximate mean bands for the dominant hand, compiled from published normative studies that used Jamar-style hand dynamometers (including the widely cited Australian norms by Massy-Westropp and colleagues, 2011, and large pooled international datasets). Individual studies differ by country, device, and protocol, so treat these as orientation — not diagnosis.

Approximate mean grip strength, dominant hand, healthy adults (kg)
Age	Men (kg)	Women (kg)
20–29	44–50	27–32
30–39	44–50	28–33
40–49	42–48	26–31
50–59	40–46	25–30
60–69	35–42	21–26
70+	28–36	17–23

Two widely used clinical cut-offs are worth knowing: dominant-hand readings below roughly 27 kg for men and 16 kg for women are commonly used in research and screening (for example in European sarcopenia guidelines) as markers of low muscle strength in older adults.

What counts as "good"?

It depends on the comparison you care about:

Against the general population: anything at or above the band for your age and sex is normal-to-good. Comfortably above it — say a 55+ kg squeeze for a man in his 30s, or 35+ kg for a woman — suggests a trained grip.
Against your sport: climbers, grapplers, and strength athletes routinely test far above population averages, because their sports are grip-limited. Population tables say little about what you need on the wall or the platform.
Against yourself: the most useful benchmark. A grip that's 10% stronger than three months ago is progress regardless of where any table puts you.

Why grip strength gets so much research attention

Grip strength is one of the most-measured fitness markers in medical research because it's quick, cheap, and objective. Large observational studies have repeatedly found associations between higher grip strength and better overall health outcomes as people age — which is why your physician or physiotherapist may measure it. An association is not a guarantee, and a strong grip is not a health certificate; but as a simple, trackable strength marker, it has earned its reputation.

Reading your own number honestly

Protocol changes the number. Standing vs seated, elbow angle, and device model all shift readings by several kilograms. Compare yourself over time only under identical conditions — the protocol is in our home testing guide.
Hands differ. A 5–10% dominant-hand advantage is typical. Track both hands separately, or imbalances stay invisible.
Day-to-day noise is real. Fatigue, time of day, and even hand temperature move readings. Judge monthly trends, not single tests.
Bands are for untrained populations. If you train grip deliberately, expect to sit above them — and switch your attention from the table to your own progression.

Turning a benchmark into a trend with MrGripper

A single reading answers "where am I?" — a tracked history answers "is it working?". MrGripper's grip-test flow is built for the second question:

Run a dynamometer test in the app for the left, right, or both hands and enter the readings (kg or lbs — your choice).
The app keeps each hand's history separate and shows a symmetry score, so a lagging hand is obvious.
Retest every few weeks; insights chart the trend so you see whether your training block actually moved the number.

Know your baseline. Then move it.

Grip Strength: MrGripper is free on the App Store — log grip tests per hand and watch your trend against your own history.

Free on theApp Store

FAQ

What is a good grip strength?

For most healthy adult men, a dominant-hand reading around 45–50 kg or above is solid; for women, around 28–32 kg or above. Readings well above your age-and-sex band indicate a trained grip. Clinical screening flags much lower values — under about 27 kg (men) or 16 kg (women).

At what age is grip strength highest?

Between roughly 25 and 39 for both sexes in population studies, declining gradually afterwards and more steeply after about 60. Trained individuals routinely hold strength well beyond those ages.

Is one hand normally stronger than the other?

Yes — the dominant hand is commonly around 5–10% stronger. Larger or growing gaps are worth training against; after injury, the between-hand gap is the most useful progress measure.