Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)	Dec. 31, 2016
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 for 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.
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 represent 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 categories of property, plant and equipment, which are depreciated on a straight-line basis, are as follows: 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 term. 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 the qualitative 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, described below. Alternatively, the Company may bypass the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to the two-step quantitative impairment test. The first step of the two-step impairment test is to compare the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying value. 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 measure the amount of an impairment loss, if any, 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. During 2016, the Company performed a qualitative assessment on six reporting units and performed a quantitative assessment on the remaining three reporting units. The Company did not record a goodwill impairment charge for the year ended December 31, 2016. 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 defines IPR&D as the value of technology acquired for which the related projects have substance and are incomplete. IPR&D acquired in a business acquisition is recognized at fair value and is required be capitalized as an indefinite-lived intangible asset until completion of the IPR&D project or upon abandonment. Upon completion of the development project (generally when regulatory approval to market the product is obtained), an impairment assessment is performed prior to amortizing the asset over its estimated useful life. If the IPR&D projects are abandoned, the related IPR&D assets would be written off. 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 elect to perform a qualitative assessment. 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. During 2016, the Company performed a quantitative assessment on three indefinite-lived intangible assets and a qualitative assessment on the remaining indefinite-lived intangible asset. See Note 4 for further information on the results of the indefinite-lived intangibles impairment testing performed in 2016. Intangible assets consisting of intellectual property, customer lists, distribution rights and trade names do not have indefinite lives and 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 with respect to the Company's intangible assets 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. For non-designated derivatives, gains and losses are reported in selling, general and administrative expenses. The receipt or payment of funds upon settlement of derivative financial instruments is classified as cash flows from operating activities.
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 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 expectations regarding the extent to which awards ultimately will 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 to the extent that such 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 under plans that provide pension and postretirement healthcare benefits. 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. 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 consideration 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 pursuant to the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") guidance on accounting for contingencies. Revenues and cost of goods sold are reduced to reflect estimated returns. The reserve for returns and allowances was $4.4 million and $4.9 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, 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 to revenue in the period of adjustment. The reserve for the customer incentive programs, including distributor rebates, was $11.6 million and $11.1 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company expects the amounts subject to the reserve as of December 31, 2016 to be paid within 90 days subsequent to year-end.
Recently issued accounting standards	Recently issued accounting standards In May 2014, the FASB, in a joint effort with the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB"), issued new accounting 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 deferred 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. Although the Company's evaluation of this guidance is ongoing, the Company's preliminary assessment indicates that the adoption of this guidance will not have a material 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 related to term loans 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. Previously, debt issuance costs were 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 Company retrospectively adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2016, which resulted in the reclassification of $2.6 million from prepaid expenses and other current assets to current borrowings and the reclassification of $4.2 million from other assets to long-term borrowings as of December 31, 2015. In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance that will change the requirements for accounting for leases. The principal change under the new accounting guidance is that lessees under leases classified as operating leases will recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability. Current lease accounting does not require lessees to recognize assets and liabilities arising under operating leases on the balance sheet. Under the new guidance, lessees (including lessees under leases classified as finance leases and operating leases) will recognize a right-to-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet, initially measured as the present value of lease payments under the lease. Expense recognition and cash flow presentation guidance will be based upon whether the lease is classified as an operating lease or a finance lease (the classification criteria for distinguishing between finance leases and operating leases is substantially similar to the classification criteria for distinguishing between capital leases and operating leases under current guidance). The standard is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The new standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition approach for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements; the guidance provides certain practical expedients. The Company is currently evaluating this guidance to determine its impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows and financial position. In March 2016, the FASB issued new guidance designed to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including guidance providing generally that excess tax benefits and deficiencies related to share-based awards should be recorded within income tax expense (currently, excess tax benefits and deficiencies generally are recorded as additional-paid-in-capital) and addressing other, related guidance on accounting for income taxes with respect to share-based payment awards; providing generally that excess tax benefits related to share-based awards should be classified along with other income tax cash flows as an operating activity (currently, excess tax benefits generally are separated from other income tax cash flows and classified as a financing activity); providing that an entity may make an accounting policy election either to base compensation cost accruals on the number of awards expected to vest (as required by current guidance) or to account for forfeitures when they occur; modifying the current exception to liability classification such that partial cash settlement of an award for tax withholding purposes would not result, by itself, in liability classification of the award if the amount withheld does not exceed the maximum statutory tax rate in the employees' applicable jurisdictions (currently, an award cannot qualify for equity classification, rather than liability classification, if the amount withheld exceeds the minimum statutory withholding requirements); and providing that cash paid by an employer when directly withholding shares for tax withholding purposes should be classified as a financing activity on the statement of cash flows (currently there is no authoritative guidance addressing this classification issue). The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted (if early adoption occurs in an interim period, any adjustments will be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes the interim period). Depending on the particular issue addressed by the guidance, application of the guidance will be made prospectively, retrospectively or subject to a retrospective transition method. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2017. In August 2016, the FASB issued new guidance with regard to eight specific issues pertaining to the classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments within the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. The new guidance should be, generally, adopted using a retrospective transition method for each period presented. Although the Company's evaluation of this guidance is ongoing, the Company's preliminary assessment indicates that the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on the Company’s cash flows. In October 2016, the FASB issued new guidance requiring companies to recognize the income tax effects of intra-entity sales and transfers of assets, other than inventory, in the income statement as income tax expense (or benefit) in the period in which the transfer occurs. Previously, recognition was prohibited until the assets were sold to an outside party or otherwise utilized. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an annual reporting period. The guidance should be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the annual period of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance on its consolidated financial position and results of operations. In January 2017, the FASB issued new guidance to clarify the definition of a “business,” with the objective of assisting entities in evaluating whether a transaction should be accounted for as an acquisition (or disposal) of assets or as an acquisition of a business. The definition of a business affects many areas of accounting, including acquisitions, disposals, goodwill and consolidation. The guidance generally defines a business as an integrated set of activities and assets (collectively referred to as a “set”) that is capable of being conducted and managed for the purpose of providing a return to investors or other owners, members, or participants. The guidance further provides that, to be considered a business, a set must meet specified requirements. However, the guidance also states that, if substantially all of the fair value of gross assets acquired (subject to specified exceptions) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not considered a business and no further analysis is required. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early application is permitted under limited circumstances with respect to specified categories of transactions. On January 26, 2017, the FASB issued guidance to simplify the accounting for goodwill impairment. The guidance removes Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test, which requires a hypothetical purchase price allocation. A goodwill impairment will now be the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. All other goodwill impairment guidance will remain largely unchanged. The revised guidance is effective for fiscal years, and any interim goodwill impairment tests within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for any impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance, but at current, does not anticipate the guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial position or results of operations. 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.