Accrued Product Warranties (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Movement in Standard Product Warranty Accrual [Roll Forward]
Accrued product warranties, beginning of year	$ 17,732us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrual	$ 16,152us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrual	$ 16,046us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrual
Amounts paid for warranty services	(10,267)us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualPayments	(10,372)us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualPayments	(12,317)us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualPayments
Warranty provisions for products sold	9,880	10,917	10,477
Business acquisitions and disposals	0	0	839
Currency translation adjustments and other	(1,170)	1,035	1,107
Accrued product warranties, end of year	16,175us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrual	17,732us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrual	16,152us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrual
Current accrued product warranties, end of year	13,538	14,665	13,169
Long-term accrued product warranties, end of ear	$ 2,637	$ 3,067	$ 2,983
Minimum [Member]
Schedule of Accrued Liabilities [Line Items]
Product warranty term	12
Maximum [Member]
Schedule of Accrued Liabilities [Line Items]
Product warranty term	24

Product Warranty Accrual, Warranties Issued, Increase (Decrease)

No definition available.

Name:	flir_ProductWarrantyAccrualWarrantiesIssuedIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix:	flir_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	flir_ScheduleOfAccruedLiabilitiesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	flir_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Standard Product Warranty Term

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	flir_StandardProductWarrantyTerm
Namespace Prefix:	flir_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MovementInStandardProductWarrantyAccrualRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred through that date and payable for estimated claims under standard and extended warranty protection rights granted to customers.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.15(5))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 15

-Subparagraph 5

-Article 9

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 460

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 8

-Subparagraph ((c)(5))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6398077&loc=d3e12565-110249

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrual
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Total liability for standard and extended product warranties acquired in a business acquisition.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 460

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 8

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6398077&loc=d3e12565-110249

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualAdditionsFromBusinessAcquisition
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred through that date and payable for estimated claims under standard and extended warranty protection rights granted to customers. For classified balance sheets, represents the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 460

-SubTopic 10

-Section 25

-Paragraph 5

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6397716&loc=d3e11281-110244

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 460

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 7

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6398077&loc=d3e12524-110249

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualClassifiedCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Total Increase or Decrease in the standard and extended product warranty liability due to currency translation.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualCurrencyTranslationIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred through that date and due after one year (or beyond the operating cycle if longer) for estimated claims under standard and extended warranty protection rights granted to customers.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.24)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 24

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 450

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 450

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14394-108349

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the aggregate decrease in the liability related to payments to satisfy claims for standard and extended product warranties.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 460

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 8

-Subparagraph ((c)(2))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6398077&loc=d3e12565-110249

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualPayments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: