MCV optimal range and reference range

Compiled by Alina Radu, founder of Sera, from the published sources below · Last reviewed November 9, 2026

Sera's bands for MCV:

  • Optimal 85 – 92 fL; sufficient 80 – 100 fL; out of range below 80 or above 100 fL.

Evidence grade: Published reference interval. A band that primarily reflects a published adult laboratory or population reference interval. It is not necessarily applicable to every assay or laboratory.

All units

UnitOptimalSufficientOut of range
fL85 – 9280 – 100below 80 or above 100

What the evidence says

The acceptable band of 80 to 100 fL is the standard adult reference interval: below 80 is microcytic (most often iron deficiency or thalassaemia trait) and above 100 is macrocytic (most often B12 or folate deficiency, alcohol or liver disease). The optimal band of 85 to 92 fL is a functional-practice target with no published source behind it.

Sources

  • CBC blood test — U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia), 2024 · Government / public-health guidanceNormal MCV is 80 to 100 femtolitres, Sera's sufficient band exactly.
  • Haematology reference ranges — Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceAdult mean cell volume 80 to 100 fL, Sera's sufficient band exactly.
  • RBC indices — U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia), 2026 · Government / public-health guidanceA second MedlinePlus page gives 79 to 95 fL (reviewed February 2026). Its upper limit is 5 fL below Sera's, so published limits are not uniform.

What Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) measures

The average size of your red blood cells.

High MCV can point to low B12 or folate. Low MCV can point to iron deficiency.

Related blood cell health markers

See MCV in the full list of biomarker ranges

About the author

Alina Radu is the founder of Sera and a software engineer. The idea started with her own Hashimoto's tests, scattered across years without the big picture. She is not a clinician: these ranges are compiled from the published sources linked on each page, with every source named. Alina Radu on LinkedIn

This page is a reference for practitioners, not medical advice. Sera's bands are practitioner targets for structured review, not diagnostic thresholds, and Sera does not diagnose or recommend treatment. Read a result alongside the interval printed by the issuing laboratory and the client's history and symptoms. Range set: Sera Production, version 1.0, last reviewed November 9, 2026.