Long-Term Debt Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Feb. 01, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Feb. 17, 2007
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible 2021 note hedge asset	$ 41,660,000		$ 41,660,000			$ 0
Convertible 2022 note hedge asset	41,619,000		41,619,000			25,471,000
Issuance of warrants			14,100,000	$ 12,376,000
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock			1,221,000	5,298,000
Convertible Subordinated Debt | Convertible Senior Subordinated Debentures at 4.125% February 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount							$ 135,000,000
Principal amount of liability component	$ 0		$ 0			13,350,000
Interest rate (as a percent)	4.125%		4.125%
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount						(311,000)
Repurchase Price of Debentures, Percent of Principal Amount					100.00%
Convertible Subordinated Debt | Convertible Senior Notes at 5.00% February 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Fee Amount	$ 5,966,000		$ 5,966,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 150,000,000		$ 150,000,000			150,000,000
Interest rate (as a percent)	5.00%		5.00%
Convertible Senior Notes, Percentage of Principal Required for Repurchase	100.00%		100.00%
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued upon Conversion	60.0492		60.0492
Convertible Debt, Conversion Rate of Commmon Shares, Principal	$ 1,000		$ 1,000
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price	$ 16.65		$ 16.65
Convertible Debt Conversion Feature, Fair Value at Issuance	$ 34,480,000		$ 34,480,000
Convertible Debt 2021 Conversion Feature, Fair Value	47,557,000		47,557,000			30,708,000
Convertible Debt Conversion Feature Gain (Loss)	15,330,000	$ (7,732,000)	16,849,000	(13,579,000)
Convertible due 2021 - Bond Hedge, Fair Value at Issuance	27,975,000		27,975,000
Convertible Debt Note Hedge Gain (Loss)	$ 14,189,000	(6,540,000)	$ 16,148,000	(11,297,000)
Derivative, Price Risk Option Strike Price	$ 22.4175		$ 22.4175
Debt Instrument, Net Proceeds	$ 144,034,000		$ 144,034,000
Debt Instrument, Net Carrying Amount	120,483,000		120,483,000			115,159,000
Debt Instrument, Fee Amount	(4,044,000)		(4,044,000)			(4,922,000)
Debt Instrument, Fee Amount Paid to Date			5,966,000
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock			5,000,000
Derivative, Amount of Hedged Item	(15,600,000)		(15,600,000)
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount	$ (25,473,000)		$ (25,473,000)			$ (29,919,000)
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	11.10%		11.10%
Debt Instrument, Non-Cash Interest Expense Recognized in the Period	$ 1,518,000	1,362,000	$ 4,446,000	3,150,000
Debt Instrument, Increase, Accrued Interest	1,875,000	1,875,000	5,625,000	4,503,000
Convertible Subordinated Debt | Convertible Senior Notes at 4.50% February 2022 [Domain]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Fee Amount	4,711,000		4,711,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 120,000,000		$ 120,000,000
Interest rate (as a percent)	4.50%		4.50%
Convertible Senior Notes, Percentage of Principal Required for Repurchase	100.00%		100.00%
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued upon Conversion	61.6095		61.6095
Convertible Debt, Conversion Rate of Commmon Shares, Principal	$ 1,000		$ 1,000
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price	$ 16.23		$ 16.23
Convertible Debt Conversion Feature, Fair Value at Issuance	$ 28,859,000		$ 28,859,000
Convertible Debt Conversion Feature Gain (Loss)	14,487,000	0	18,879,000	0
Convertible due 2022 - Bond Hedge, Fair Value at Issuance	24,780,000		24,780,000
Convertible Debt Note Hedge Gain (Loss)	$ 13,078,000	$ 0	$ 16,880,000	0
Derivative, Price Risk Option Strike Price	$ 21.4375		$ 21.4375
Issuance of warrants			$ 14,100,000	$ 14,100,000
Debt Instrument, Net Proceeds	$ 115,289,000		115,289,000
Debt Instrument, Net Carrying Amount	88,317,000		88,317,000
Debt Instrument, Fee Amount	(4,161,000)		(4,161,000)
Derivative, Amount of Hedged Item	(10,680,000)		(10,680,000)
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount	$ (27,522,000)		$ (27,522,000)
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	10.90%		10.90%
Debt Instrument, Non-Cash Interest Expense Recognized in the Period	$ 1,125,000		$ 1,337,000
Debt Instrument, Increase, Accrued Interest	$ 1,350,000		$ 1,605,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)	4.87%		4.87%			4.85%
Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (Europe Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity	$ 30,000,000		$ 30,000,000
Line of Credit, Covenant Compliance, Maximum Borrowing Capacity, Trade Receivables, Europe, Percent			85.00%
Minimum availability reserve	3,000,000		$ 3,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Feature, Dominion Trigger	$ 3,375,000		$ 3,375,000
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Feature, Dominion Trigger Maximum Percentage	12.50%		12.50%
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	$ 16,633,000		$ 16,633,000
Remaining borrowing capacity	$ 10,000,000		$ 10,000,000
Minimum required undrawn balance (as a percent)	11.25%		11.25%
Consecutive business days for minimum undrawn balance			5 days
Required undrawn balance, minimum	$ 3,000,000		$ 3,000,000
Interruption of material manufacturing facilities, period			10 days
Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (New Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity	100,000,000		$ 100,000,000
Additional increase in borrowing capacity available	25,000,000		$ 25,000,000
Percentage of domestic accounts receivable			85.00%
Percentage of eligible domestic inventory and in-transit inventory			70.00%
Percentage of net orderly liquidation value of domestic inventory			85.00%
Maximum value of net orderly liquidation value domestic inventory and in-transit inventory	4,000,000		$ 4,000,000
Net orderly liquidation value of domestic eligible machinery and equipment			85.00%
Additional amount of machinery and equipment	1,462,000		$ 1,462,000
Percentage of eligible Canadian accounts receivable			85.00%
Percentage of eligible Canadian inventory			70.00%
Percentage of net orderly liquidation value of eligible Canadian inventory			85.00%
Minimum availability reserve	5,000,000		$ 5,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	26,061,000		26,061,000
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Feature, Dominion Trigger	11,250,000		11,250,000
LIne of Credit Facility, Covenant Feature Dominion Trigger for Five Consecutive Days	$ 12,500,000		$ 12,500,000
Minimum required undrawn balance (as a percent)	11.25%		11.25%
Line of Credit, Covenant Compliance, Consecutive Business Days for Undrawn_Balance			5 days
Required undrawn balance, minimum	$ 5,000,000		$ 5,000,000
Interruption of material manufacturing facilities, period			10 days
Letter of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Fair Value of Amount Outstanding	2,935,000		$ 2,935,000			$ 2,853,000
Letter of Credit | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (Europe Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity	5,000,000		5,000,000
Letter of Credit | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (New Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity	25,000,000		25,000,000
Swing Line Loans | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (Europe Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity	2,000,000		2,000,000
Amount Available to Invacare Limited and Invacare Poirier SAS | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (Europe Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity	$ 15,000,000		$ 15,000,000
Base Rate | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate			0.25%
Minimum | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (Europe Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee percentage			0.25%
Minimum | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (New Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee percentage			0.25%
Minimum | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (Europe Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate			2.50%
Minimum | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (New Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate			2.25%
Minimum | Base Rate | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (Europe Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate			2.50%
Minimum | Base Rate | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (New Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate			1.25%
Maximum | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (Europe Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee percentage			0.375%
Maximum | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (New Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee percentage			0.375%
Maximum | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (Europe Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate			3.00%
Maximum | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (New Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate			2.75%
Maximum | Base Rate | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (Europe Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate			3.00%
Maximum | Base Rate | Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (New Credit Agreement)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate			1.75%