Convert Force from Kilogram-forces (kgf) to other units

Kilogram-force Conversion Formulas

Kilogram-force to Newton Conversion Formula

Kilogram-force to Kilonewton Conversion Formula

Kilogram-force to Pound-force Conversion Formula

What Is a Kilogram-force (kgf)?

A kilogram-force (kgf), also called a kilopond (kp), is the force exerted by gravity on a mass of one kilogram at standard gravity.

• 1 kgf = 9.807 N

A Metric Unit That Behaves Like an Imperial One

The kilogram-force is a gravitational metric unit: it takes the convenience of the imperial system — where the number on the scale and the number in the force calculation match — and applies it to metric mass. If a load is 250 kg, its weight is simply 250 kgf.

That convenience is also why the unit was deprecated. It bakes the Earth's gravity into the definition, so any calculation using it silently assumes you are standing on this planet at sea level. The SI system replaced it with the newton, and modern standards discourage kgf in new work.

Where You Still Meet It

Deprecated does not mean gone. Kilogram-force still appears in:

• Older machinery and technical drawings, particularly European and Japanese equipment made before the 1990s.
• Tyre and pressure gauges in some markets, where kgf/cm² is used instead of bar.
• Torque wrenches graduated in kgf·m or kgf·cm.
• Medical and fitness equipment — grip strength dynamometers commonly read in kgf.

If you are reading an old service manual, expect kgf. If you are writing a new specification, use newtons.

Converting Kilogram-force