Note 6 - Employee Benefit Plans - Weighted-average Actuarial Assumptions to Determine Benefit Obligation and Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Details) - Swiss Plan [Member]	12 Months Ended
Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Discount rate	0.70%	0.70%
Compensation increase	1.80%	1.50%
Discount rate	0.70%	1.00%	1.30%
Rate of return on Assets	0.70%	1.00%	1.30%
Compensation increase	1.50%	1.80%	1.80%

Weighted average rate for present value of future retirement benefits cash flows, used to determine benefit obligation of defined benefit plan.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (k)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average rate increase of compensation, used to determine benefit obligation of defined benefit plan. Plan includes, but is not limited to, pay-related defined benefit plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (k)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationRateOfCompensationIncrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average rate for present value of future retirement benefits cash flows, used to determine net periodic benefit cost of defined benefit plan.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average rate of return on plan assets, reflecting average rate of earnings expected on existing plan assets and expected contributions, used to determine net periodic benefit cost of defined benefit plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (k)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average rate of compensation increase used to determine net periodic benefit cost of defined benefit plan. Plan includes, but is not limited to, pay-related defined benefit plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (k)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostRateOfCompensationIncrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanNameAxis=cohu_SwissPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: