Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Consolidation	Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Teleflex Incorporated and its subsidiaries (the “Company”). Intercompany transactions are eliminated in consolidation. Investments in affiliates over which the Company has significant influence but not a controlling equity interest, including variable interest entities of which the Company is not the primary beneficiary, are accounted for using the equity method. Investments in affiliates over which the Company does not have significant influence are accounted for using the cost method of accounting. These consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") and reflect management’s estimates and assumptions that affect the recorded amounts. Effective April 1, 2015, the Company realigned its operating segments to reflect the reorganization of its businesses to better leverage its resources. All prior comparative periods have been restated to reflect these changes. See Note 16 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information on the realignment of the Company's operating segments.
Use of estimates	Use of estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of net revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and cash equivalents	Cash and cash equivalents: All highly liquid debt instruments with an original maturity of three months or less are classified as cash equivalents. The carrying value of cash equivalents approximates the current market value.
Accounts receivable	Accounts receivable: Accounts receivable represents amounts due from customers related to the sale of products and provision of services. An allowance for doubtful accounts is maintained and represents the Company’s estimate of the amount of uncollectible receivables. The allowance is provided at such time as management believes reasonable doubt exists that such balances will be collected within a reasonable period of time. The allowance is based on the Company’s historical collection experience with respect to the customer, the length of time an account is outstanding, the financial position of the customer and information provided by credit rating services. In addition, the Company maintains a reserve for returns and allowances based on its historical experience.
Inventories	Inventories: Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market. The cost of the Company’s inventories is determined using the average cost method. Elements of cost in inventory include raw materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead. In estimating market value, the Company evaluates inventory for excess and obsolete quantities based on estimated usage and sales among other factors.
Property, plant and equipment	Property, plant and equipment: Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Costs incurred to develop internal-use computer software during the application development stage generally are capitalized. Costs of enhancements to internal-use computer software are capitalized, provided that these enhancements result in additional functionality. Other additions and those improvements which increase the capacity or lengthen the useful lives of the assets are also capitalized. Composite useful lives for property, plant and equipment, which are depreciated on a straight-line basis, are as follows: land improvements — 5 years; buildings — 30 years; machinery and equipment — 3 to 10 years; computer equipment and software — 3 to 10 years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the useful lives of the leasehold improvements or the remaining lease periods. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.
Goodwill and other intangible assets	Goodwill and other intangible assets: Goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but are tested for impairment annually during the fourth quarter or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that an impairment may exist. Impairment losses, if any, are included in income from operations. The goodwill impairment test is applied to each of the Company’s reporting units whose assets include goodwill. For purposes of this assessment, a reporting unit is an operating segment, or a business one level below that operating segment (also known as a component) if discrete financial information is prepared for that business and regularly reviewed by segment management. However, separate components are aggregated as a single reporting unit if they have similar economic characteristics. In applying the goodwill impairment test, the Company may assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. Qualitative factors may include, but are not limited to, macroeconomic conditions, industry conditions, the competitive environment, changes in the market for the Company’s products and services, regulatory and political developments, and entity specific factors such as strategies and financial performance. If, after completing such assessment, the Company determines it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, the Company proceeds to a two-step quantitative impairment test. Alternatively, the Company may proceed directly to testing goodwill for impairment through the two-step quantitative impairment test, described below, without conducting the qualitative analysis. In the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company performed a qualitative assessment on six reporting units and determined that the fair value of each of the reporting units was more likely than not greater than the carrying value. For the three remaining reporting units whose assets include goodwill, the Company elected to forego the qualitative assessment and apply the two-step quantitative impairment test. The first step of the two-step impairment test is to quantitatively compare the fair value of a reporting unit, including goodwill, to its carrying value. In performing the first step, the Company calculates the fair value of the reporting unit using equal weighting of two methods; one which estimates the discounted cash flows of the reporting unit based on projected earnings in the future (the Income Approach) and one which is based on sales of similar businesses or assets to those of the reporting unit in actual transactions (the Market Approach). If the reporting unit fair value exceeds the carrying value, there is no impairment. If the reporting unit carrying value exceeds the fair value, the Company would perform the second step of the goodwill impairment test, in which the Company would recognize an impairment loss based on the amount by which the carrying value of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined by deducting the fair value of a reporting unit's identifiable assets and liabilities from the fair value of the reporting unit as a whole, as if that reporting unit had just been acquired and the fair value of the individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed were being determined initially. As a result of its performance of the quantitative goodwill impairment test on the three reporting units during the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company determined that the goodwill of the reporting units was not impaired. The Company’s intangible assets consist of customer lists, intellectual property, distribution rights, in-process research and development ("IPR&D") and trade names. The Company tests its indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually, and more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that an impairment may have occurred. Similar to the goodwill impairment test process, the Company may assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying value. If, after completing the qualitative assessment, the Company determines it is more likely than not that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset is greater than its carrying amount, the asset is not impaired. If the Company concludes it is more likely than not that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than the carrying value, the Company then proceeds to a quantitative impairment test, which consists of a comparison of the fair value of the intangible asset to its carrying amount. Alternatively, the Company may elect to forgo the qualitative analysis and proceed directly to testing the indefinite-lived intangible asset for impairment through the quantitative impairment test. In the fourth quarter 2015, the Company performed a qualitative assessment on two indefinite lived assets and determined that the fair values were more likely than not higher than the carrying values. For the remaining three indefinite-lived intangible assets, the Company elected to test impairment through the quantitative method and determined that no impairment had occurred. Intangible assets consisting of intellectual property, customer lists, distribution rights and trade names that do not have indefinite lives are being amortized over their estimated useful lives, which are as follows: intellectual property, 3 to 20 years; customer lists, 5 to 30 years; distribution rights, 3 to 22 years; trade names, 1 to 30 years. The weighted average remaining amortization period is approximately 15 years. The Company periodically evaluates the reasonableness of the useful lives of these assets.
Long-lived assets	Long-lived assets: The Company assesses the remaining useful life and recoverability of long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. The assessment is based on various analyses, including undiscounted cash flow and profitability projections that incorporate, as applicable, the impact on the existing business. Therefore, the evaluation involves significant management judgment. Any impairment loss, if indicated, is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the estimated fair value of the asset.
Foreign currency translation	Foreign currency translation: Assets and liabilities of subsidiaries with non-United States dollar denominated functional currencies are translated into United States dollars at the rates of exchange at the balance sheet date; income and expenses are translated at the average rates of exchange prevailing during the year. The translation adjustments are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss.
Derivative financial instruments	Derivative financial instruments: The Company uses derivative financial instruments primarily for purposes of hedging exposures to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. All instruments are entered into for other than trading purposes. All derivatives are recognized on the balance sheet at fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recorded in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income as other comprehensive income (loss), if the instrument is designated as part of a hedge transaction. Gains or losses on derivative instruments reported in other comprehensive income (loss) are reclassified to the consolidated statement of income in the period in which earnings are affected by the underlying hedged item. Gains or losses on derivative instruments representing hedge ineffectiveness or hedge components excluded from the assessment of effectiveness, if any, are recognized in the consolidated statement of income for the period in which such gains and losses occur. If the hedging relationship ceases to be highly effective or it becomes probable that an expected transaction will no longer occur, gains or losses on the derivative instrument are recorded in the consolidated statement of income for the period in which either such event occurs.
Share-based compensation	Share-based compensation: The Company estimates the fair value of share-based awards on the date of grant using an option pricing model. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as expense over the requisite service periods. Share-based compensation expense related to stock options is measured using a Black-Scholes option pricing model that takes into account highly subjective and complex assumptions with respect to the expected life of the options, volatility, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend yield. The expected life of options granted is derived from the vesting period of the award, as well as historical exercise behavior, and represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding. Expected volatility is based on a blend of historical volatility and implied volatility derived from publicly traded options to purchase the Company’s common stock, which the Company believes is more reflective of the market conditions and a better indicator of expected volatility than would be the case if the Company only used historical volatility. The risk-free interest rate is the implied yield currently available on United States Treasury zero-coupon issues with a remaining term equal to the expected life of the option. Share-based compensation expense recognized is based on the value of the portion of stock-based awards that is ultimately expected to vest during the period less estimated forfeitures. Forfeitures are required to be estimated at the time of grant. Management reviews and revises the estimate of forfeitures for all share-based awards on a quarterly basis based on management’s expectation of the awards that will ultimately vest.
Income taxes	Income taxes: The provision for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. Under this approach, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized to reflect the future tax consequences attributable to the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their tax bases, and to reflect operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The provision for income taxes represents income taxes paid or payable for the current year plus the change in deferred taxes during the year. Provision has been made for income taxes on unremitted earnings of subsidiaries and affiliates, except for subsidiaries in which earnings are deemed to be permanently reinvested. Significant judgment is required in determining income tax provisions and in evaluating tax positions. The Company establishes additional provisions for income taxes when, despite the belief that tax positions are supportable, there remain certain positions that do not meet the minimum probability threshold, which is a tax position that is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority. In the normal course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries are examined by various federal, state and foreign tax authorities. The Company regularly assesses the potential outcomes of these examinations and any future examinations for the current or prior years in determining the adequacy of its provision for income taxes. Interest accrued with respect to unrecognized tax benefits and income tax related penalties are both included in taxes on income from continuing operations. The Company periodically assesses the likelihood and amount of potential adjustments and adjusts the income tax provision, the current tax liability and deferred taxes in the period in which the facts that give rise to an adjustment become known.
Pensions and other postretirement benefits	Pensions and other postretirement benefits: The Company provides a range of benefits to eligible employees and retired employees, including pensions and postretirement healthcare. The Company records annual amounts relating to these plans based on calculations which include various actuarial assumptions such as discount rates, expected rates of return on plan assets, compensation increases, turnover rates and healthcare cost trend rates. The Company reviews its actuarial assumptions on an annual basis and makes modifications to the assumptions based on current rates and trends when appropriate. The effect of the modifications is generally amortized over future periods.
Restructuring costs	Restructuring costs: Restructuring costs, which include termination benefits, facility closure costs, contract termination costs and other restructuring costs are recorded at estimated fair value. Key assumptions used in calculating the restructuring costs include the terms of, and payments under, agreements to terminate certain contractual obligations and the timing of reductions in force.
Contingent consideration related to business acquisitions	Contingent consideration related to business acquisitions: In connection with business acquisitions, the Company may be required to pay future consideration that is contingent upon the achievement of specified objectives such as receipt of regulatory approval, commercialization of a product or achievement of sales targets (collectively, "milestone payments"). As of the acquisition date, the Company records a contingent liability representing the estimated fair value of the contingent consideration that it expects to pay. The Company remeasures the fair value of its contingent consideration arrangements each reporting period and, based on new developments, records changes in fair value until either the contingent consideration obligation is satisfied through payment upon the achievement of the specified objectives or the obligation no longer exists due to the failure to achieve the specified objectives. The change in the fair value is recorded in the consolidated statement of income. A contingent payment is classified as a financing activity in the consolidated statement of cash flows to the extent it was recorded as a liability as of the acquisition date. Any additional amount paid in excess of the amount initially accrued is classified as an operating activity in the consolidated statement of cash flows.
Revenue recognition	Revenue recognition: The Company recognizes revenues from product sales, including sales to distributors, or services provided when the following revenue recognition criteria are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the selling price is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. This generally occurs when products are shipped, when services are rendered or upon customers’ acceptance. Revenues are net of estimated returns and other allowances, including rebates. The Company’s normal policy is to accept returns only in cases in which the product is defective and covered under the Company’s standard warranty provisions. With respect to the limited cases where an arrangement provides a right of return to the customer, including a distributor, the Company believes it has the ability to reasonably estimate the amount of returns based on its substantial historical experience with respect to these arrangements. The Company accrues any costs or losses that may be expected in connection with any returns in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 450, “Contingencies.” Revenues and cost of goods sold are reduced to reflect estimated returns. The reserve for returns and allowances was $4.9 million and $4.1 million as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Allowances related to customer incentive programs, which include discounts or rebates, are estimated and provided for in the period that the related sales are recorded. These allowances are recorded as a reduction of revenue. The Company also offers rebates to certain distributors and records the estimated rebate as a reduction of revenue at the time of sale. In estimating rebates, the Company considers the lag time between the point of sale and the payment of the distributor’s rebate claim, distributor-specific trend analyses, contractual commitments, including stated rebate rates, historical experience with respect to specific customers and other relevant information. The Company adjusts estimated rebates based on actual experience and records the adjustment as a reduction of sales in the period of adjustment. The reserve for the customer incentive programs, including distributor rebates, was $11.1 million and $10.4 million at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The Company expects the amounts subject to the reserve as of December 31, 2015 to be paid within 90 days subsequent to year-end.
Recently issued not yet effective	In May 2014, the FASB, in a joint effort with the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB"), issued guidance to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue. The new guidance is designed to enhance the comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions and capital markets, and will affect any entity that enters into contracts with customers or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets, unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards. The new guidance establishes principles for reporting information to users of financial statements about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from an entity's contracts with customers. The core principle of the new guidance is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. In August 2015, the FASB issued an amendment to the new guidance that defers the effective date. The amendment provides that the new guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those years; early application is permitted for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company is currently evaluating this guidance to determine its impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows and financial position. In April 2015, the FASB issued guidance for the reporting of debt issuance costs within the balance sheet. Under the new guidance, debt issuance costs are to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the associated debt liability, consistent with the presentation of a debt discount. Currently, debt issuance costs are presented as a deferred charge (i.e., an asset) on the balance sheet. The guidance provides uniform treatment for debt issuance costs and debt discounts and eliminates inconsistencies that previously existed with other FASB guidance. The new guidance is effective for years beginning after December 15, 2015 with early adoption permitted, and is required to be applied on a retrospective basis. The Company does not believe that the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on the Company’s financial position. In September 2015, the FASB issued guidance that will change the requirements for reporting measurement period adjustments to provisional amounts initially recognized in connection with a business combination. Under GAAP, an acquiring entity currently is required to retrospectively adjust, in prior period financial statements, the provisional amounts to reflect new information obtained during the measurement period (a period, which may not exceed one year from the date of the business combination, during which the acquiring entity may receive information about the facts and circumstances existing as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have affected the measurement of the amounts recognized as of the acquisition date). Under the new guidance, adjustments to the provisional amounts will be reflected in the financial statements for the reporting period in which the adjustments are determined, including by recognizing in current period earnings the full effect of changes in depreciation, amortization or other income effects. The guidance requires that the acquiring entity either present separately on the face of the current period income statement or disclose in the notes to the current period financial statements, by line item, the amount of the adjustments made during the current period. The new guidance is effective for years beginning after December 15, 2015, and will be applied prospectively to adjustments to provisional amounts occurring after the effective date of the guidance. Earlier application is permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. The Company has applied the provisions of this guidance to any measurement period adjustments occurring after September 27, 2015.The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial position. In November 2015, the FASB issued guidance to simplify the reporting of deferred tax assets and liabilities within the balance sheet. Currently, an entity is required to separate deferred tax liabilities and assets into a current amount and a noncurrent amount; any valuation allowance for a particular tax jurisdiction is allocated between current and noncurrent deferred tax assets related to that tax jurisdiction on a pro rata basis. After offsetting deferred tax liabilities and assets attributable to the same tax-paying components of the entity and the same tax jurisdiction, the net current and noncurrent deferred tax assets and liabilities are separately presented on the balance sheet. Under the new guidance, deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowances, will be offset to the extent permitted by the guidance and presented only as noncurrent amounts in the balance sheet (as is the case under the current guidance, the entity cannot offset deferred tax liabilities and assets attributable to different tax-paying components of the entity or to different tax jurisdictions). The guidance is effective for years beginning after December 15, 2016 with early adoption permitted, and can be applied prospectively or retrospectively; the guidance prescribes the content of accompanying disclosures depending on whether the entity chooses to adopt the guidance prospectively or retroactively. The Company adopted this standard retrospectively as of December 31, 2015. From time to time, new accounting guidance is issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies that is adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date. The Company has assessed recently issued guidance that is not yet effective and believes the new guidance will not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial position.