1.68 m in Feet: How to Convert Meters to Feet & Inches

You’ve landed on a height conversion page, so it’s likely you’re wondering exactly how tall 1.68 meters is in feet and inches. The quick answer is 5.51 feet, or 5 feet 6.1 inches, but the story doesn’t end there. This guide walks through the exact conversion, the confusion between 5’6″ and 5’7″, and what 168 cm means in modeling and everyday life.

1.68 m in feet: 5.51 ft ·
1.68 m in inches: 66.14 in ·
168 cm in feet and inches: 5 ft 6.1 in ·
Common rounding: 5 ft 6 in or 5 ft 7 in

The table below presents the exact values for quick reference.

How tall is 1.68 m in feet?

Step-by-step conversion using the formula

• Start with the value in meters: 1.68 m.
• Multiply by the official conversion factor: 1 meter = 3.28084 feet (The Calculator Site).
• 1.68 × 3.28084 = 5.51 ft (exact: 5.5118 ft).

The same factor works in reverse: 1 foot = 0.3048 meters (standard conversion, verified by multiple calculators). The formula gives the pure decimal feet value before we slice it into whole feet and inches.

Result in feet and inches

Of the 5.51 ft, the whole feet part is 5. Multiply the decimal (0.51) by 12 inches per foot to get the inches: 0.51 × 12 = 6.12 inches (as demonstrated in the instructional video by Geometry Teachers). So 1.68 m = 5 ft 6.1 in (when rounding to one decimal).

Common rounding to 5’6″

• Rounding down (floor): 5 ft 6 in — used in many online calculators and casual contexts.
• Rounding to nearest inch: the 6.1 inches becomes 6 inches, so also 5’6″.
• Rounding up (ceiling) would give 5’7″, which is less common but appears in some profile fields.

The implication: 1.68 m is mathematically closer to 5’6″ than to 5’7″ — by less than half an inch, but still closer.

Is 168 cm 5’6″ or 5’7″?

Why 168 cm creates confusion

• 168 cm = 1.68 m = 5.51 ft — exactly halfway between 5’6″ (1.676 m) and 5’7″ (1.702 m).
• The difference between the two common answers is only 2.6 cm (derived from the conversion factors).
• Human-friendly rounding (dropping fractions of an inch) tends to favor 5’6″; decimal enthusiasts sometimes report 5’7″ by rounding 5.51 up to 5.5 then to 6 feet? Actually the confusion is due to rounding the decimal feet to whole feet.

The root cause: different rounding rules (floor, nearest, ceiling) applied to the same number.

Height chart showing 168 cm vs 5’6″ and 5’7″

The table below compares the precise heights:

The pattern: 168 cm sits between the two, just 0.4 cm above 5’6″ and 2.2 cm below 5’7″.

How rounding affects the answer

The safest approach: report both feet and inches explicitly, and always specify the rounding convention used.

Is 168 cm short for a model?

Minimum height requirements for runway models

• Major fashion weeks typically require women to be at least 5’8″ (173 cm) for runway (industry standard).
• Men’s runway minimums are usually 5’11” to 6’0″.
• 168 cm (5’6″) falls 2 inches below that typical cutoff, putting it at a disadvantage for high-fashion catwalk roles.

However, commercial and editorial modeling have lower barriers. Many successful print models are 5’5″ to 5’7″.

Commercial vs high-fashion modeling

The catch: agency rosters shift every season, and “minimum” is a guideline, not a law. Models at 5’6″ have walked for certain designers, but the odds are lower.

Average woman height comparison

• US average woman height: 5’4″ (162.6 cm) — 168 cm is taller than average.
• UK average: 5’4.5″ (164 cm) — still taller.
• Netherlands average: 5’7″ (170 cm) — 168 cm is slightly below Dutch average.

What this means: 168 cm is above average in most Western countries, but falls short of the elite runway threshold. Whether it’s “short for a model” depends entirely on which segment of the industry you’re targeting.

Step-by-step: convert 1.68 m to feet and inches manually

Four steps that anyone can do with a pencil or phone calculator:

1. Multiply 1.68 by 3.28084 → 5.5118 ft (Symbolab).
2. Take the integer part → 5 feet.
3. Multiply the decimal (0.5118) by 12 → 6.14 inches.
4. Round the inches to your preferred precision (6 in, 6.1 in, or 6.14 in).

The same method works for any meter value. The conversion factor never changes.

“One meter is exactly 3.28084 feet — that’s the factor you need for any conversion.”

— Geometry Teachers, instructional video (YouTube)

“168 centimeters equals 5 feet 6.1 inches.”

— Answers.com community summary (Answers.com)

The two sources agree on the decimal value, confirming the core math. The only divergence is how to round that final 0.1 inch.

For anyone filling out a form or introducing themselves, the choice between 5’6″ and 5’7″ may seem trivial. But when rounding conventions collide, the same height can change a person’s category — in modeling applications, medical charts, or even clothing sizes. Knowing the decimal truth (5.51 ft) gives you the power to decide which rounded version fits your context. For the reader shopping for clothes or applying to an agency, the clear action is: report both feet and inches, and always specify whether you are rounding up or down.

Frequently asked questions