9 Household Items That Weigh Less Than 3 Pounds
Last updated on March 13th, 2023 at 11:53 am
When it comes to estimating weight, either for comparisons, exercising, or calibrating a scale, it can be difficult to get a true feel for how much a pound is, and even more challenging to figure out how much three pounds is.
Learning about different household items that weigh less than three pounds can help you more accurately estimate different weights.
Did you know? 3 pounds is equal to 48 ounces or 1360 grams.
Household Items That Weigh Less Than 3 Pounds
- Quart of milk
- Stapler
- Loaf of bread
- Dinner plate
- Pair of women’s shoes
- Notebook
- Stick of butter
- Throw pillow
- Bar of soap
| Household Item | Weight |
|---|---|
| Quart of milk | 2 pounds |
| Stapler | 250 – 500 grams |
| Loaf of bread | 1 pound |
| Dinner plate | 1.5 – 2 pounds |
| Women’s shoes | 2 – 2.5 pounds |
| Notebook | 1 pound |
| Stick of butter | 110 grams |
| Throw pillow | 1.25 pounds |
| Bar of soap | 100 – 125 grams |
#1. A Quart of Milk
Anyone who has ever had to carry a gallon of milk through a grocery store knows that milk is actually surprisingly heavy. A gallon of milk weighs about eight and a half pounds. A quart of milk, however, weighs much less than that, usually right around two pounds.
Other quarts of liquid, such as water, weigh close to this amount, but the exact weight will vary depending on the liquid’s viscosity. Milk is denser than water, for example, so a quart of milk weighs slightly more than a quart of water.
In addition, whole milk will weigh more than 2% milk, and 2% milk will weigh just a little bit more than skim milk, as the fat in the milk adds to its weight.
#2. A Stapler
Another surprisingly heavy household item is a stapler. Exactly how much a stapler weighs depends on its construction, size, and whether or not it is full of staples. All staplers, however, weigh less than three pounds.
A plastic stapler will generally weigh about 250 grams or just over half a pound. A metal stapler will weigh about 500 grams, which comes to just over one pound.
Individuals staples themselves don’t weigh very much, and on most scales, they won’t even register. However, because they are made of metal, their weight can add up. A stapler that’s recently been filled will weigh a few grams more.
#3. A Loaf of Bread
Most people either have a loaf of bread at home or know how heavy a loaf of bread feels to carry, which makes it a great way to estimate weights. Most loaves of bread weigh right around one pound, so it’s perfect for estimating weights below three pounds, or any small weight in pounds.
Exactly how much a loaf of bread weighs depends on its specific size, it’s packaging, and what the bread is made of. Light, airy breads will weigh less than dense breads, and breads with added ingredients such as seeds, nuts, or olives will weigh a bit more as well.
Did you know?
It takes 9 seconds for a combine to harvest enough wheat to make about 70 loaves of bread.
#4. A Dinner Plate
Dinner plates come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes, and they can weigh more or less depending on what material they’re made of.
However, in general, a porcelain or china dinner plate weighs somewhere between one and a half and two pounds. Only the heaviest plates, such as those made of stoneware, will meet the two-pound weight. If the plate is made of plastic, it will weigh even less.
#5. A Pair of Women’s Shoes
Shoes weigh differently depending on the style, material, and size. A shoe in a size nine, for example, will weigh more than a shoe that’s a size six, and a sneaker will often weigh more than a pair of flats made with fabric materials.
However, in general, a pair of women’s shoes will weigh between two and two and a half pounds. Men’s shoes, which are generally larger and are often made of heavier material, can weigh a bit more, and might even weigh more than three pounds, depending on the size.
#6. A Notebook
Carrying notebooks and school books around can become quite tiresome because these items can weigh a surprising amount. Notebooks can weigh differently depending on their paper size, paper quality, binding and cover types, and how many pages they have in them.
However, most spiral notebooks weigh just over one pound. Several spiral notebooks stacked together can easily top three pounds, and adding school books with hardcovers can add even more weight to a backpack.
Notebooks that have been written in will actually weigh very slightly more than notebooks that have no writing. Although it’s quite minimal, both ink and pencil lead do add a tiny bit of weight to each page, so a notebook that’s filled will be a little heavier than one that hasn’t been used yet.
#7. A Stick of Butter
Although it’s small, a stick of butter can be quite heavy, which is because it’s very dense. A standard stick of butter weighs 110 grams, or just under a quarter of a pound.
When you buy butter in the store, a package is usually a pound in size and includes four sticks. The standardized weight of butter helps when it comes to adding specific amounts when cooking or getting the correct ratios when baking, and knowing how much butter generally weighs can help when converting or adjusting recipes.
#8. A Throw Pillow
As large and fluffy as they are, throw or toss pillows don’t actually weigh very much, and most weigh less than three pounds. Throw pillows are available in a few standard sizes, with each weighing a slightly different amount.
Toss pillows that are 20 inches square, for example, weigh about one and a quarter pounds. Oversized throw pillows weigh slightly more, while child-sized or small throw pillows weigh slightly less.
A toss pillow’s exact weight will also depend on what it’s filled with and what material the cover is made of. If there are tassels, buttons, or other decorations, the pillow will also weigh a bit more.
#9. A Bar of Soap
Bars of soap are available in a variety of sizes, so their weights vary slightly from brand to brand. What the soap is made of also makes a difference in the bar’s final weight. However, all bar soaps weigh less than three pounds.
In general, bars of soap weigh between 100 and 125 grams, which equals between .22 and .27 pounds, so you can safely say that a bar of soap weighs about a quarter of a pound.
This makes bars of soap a great tool when it comes to estimating smaller weights below three pounds.
