Height (Metric and Imperial) Regex for Python

What this pattern does

This page provides a comprehensive, battle-tested regular expression for matching height (metric and imperial), ported and verified for Python. Identity and credential patterns need both correctness and safety, since they're frequent targets for adversarial input. The snippet below is ready to drop into your Python project — whether you're validating in a Django view, a FastAPI endpoint, or a standalone data processing script.

Python Implementation

# Height (Metric and Imperial)
# ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Identity & PII > Biometric & Physical

import re

height_metric_and_imperial_pattern = re.compile(r'^(?:(1[0-9]{2}|2[0-5][0-9])\s?cm)|(?:([1-8])'(?:\s?(?:0|[1-9]|1[01])"?)??)$')

def validate_height_metric_and_imperial(value: str) -> bool:
    return bool(height_metric_and_imperial_pattern.fullmatch(value))

# Example
print(validate_height_metric_and_imperial("175cm"))  # True

Test Cases

When to use this pattern

This pattern is drawn from the Identity & PII > Biometric & Physical category and carries a ReDoS-safe certification. That matters for Python developers because particularly important in Python web servers where CPU-bound regex operations can stall concurrent request handling. RegexVault audits patterns against known backtracking attack vectors, ensuring you have the necessary context before using this regex in a high-stakes production environment.

Common Pitfalls

Technical Notes

Metric range: 100-259 cm (practical human height range). Imperial: 1-8 feet, 0-11 inches. Height is body measurement data — classified as sensitive personal data in some jurisdictions (biometric data under GDPR if combined with other identifiers).