Leases - Leases included in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 30, 2019	Dec. 29, 2018
Assets
Operating	$ 72,875
Finance	50
Total leased assets	72,925	$ 0
Current
Operating	22,698
Finance	21
Non-current
Operating	58,660
Finance	28
Total leases	$ 81,407

Assets, Lessee [Abstract]

No definition available.

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- Definition

Liabilities, Current, Lessee [Abstract]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hni_LiabilitiesCurrentLesseeAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	hni_
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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Liabilities, Noncurrent, Lessee [Abstract]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hni_LiabilitiesNoncurrentLesseeAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	hni_
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Balance Type:	na
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- Definition

Operating And Finance Leases, Liability

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hni_OperatingAndFinanceLeasesLiability
Namespace Prefix:	hni_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Operating And Finance Leases, Right-of-Use Asset

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hni_OperatingAndFinanceLeasesRightofUseAsset
Namespace Prefix:	hni_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from finance lease, classified as current.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977

+ Details

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

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from finance lease, classified as noncurrent.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of lessee's right to use underlying asset under finance lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseRightOfUseAsset
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from operating lease, classified as current.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from operating lease, classified as noncurrent.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of lessee's right to use underlying asset under operating lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant