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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName JANUS ASPEN SERIES
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate May 01, 2014
Flexible Bond Portfolio | Institutional Shares
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading PORTFOLIO SUMMARY

Flexible Bond Portfolio
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock Flexible Bond Portfolio seeks to obtain maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE PORTFOLIO
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Shares of the Portfolio. Owners of variable insurance contracts that invest in the Shares should refer to the variable insurance contract prospectus for a description of fees and expenses, as the following table and examples do not reflect deductions at the separate account level or contract level for any charges that may be incurred under a contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase the fees and expenses described below.
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover:
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s turnover rate was 138% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 138.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading EXAMPLE:
Expense Example by Year [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleByYearHeading The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated, reinvest all dividends and distributions, and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of each period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock The Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock The Portfolio pursues its investment objective by primarily investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in bonds. Bonds include, but are not limited to, government notes and bonds, corporate bonds, convertible bonds, commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities, and zero-coupon bonds. The Portfolio will invest at least 65% of its assets in investment grade debt securities. As of December 31, 2013, the Portfolio’s weighted average maturity was 7.9 years. The Portfolio will limit its investment in high-yield/high-risk bonds, also known as “junk” bonds, to 35% or less of its net assets. The Portfolio generates total return from a combination of current income and capital appreciation, but income is usually the dominant portion. The Portfolio may also invest in asset-backed securities, money market instruments, commercial loans, and foreign debt securities (which may include investments in emerging markets). Due to the nature of the securities in which the Portfolio invests, it may have relatively high portfolio turnover compared to other Portfolios.

In addition to considering economic factors such as the effect of interest rates on the Portfolio’s investments, the portfolio managers apply a “bottom up” approach in choosing investments. This means that the portfolio managers look at income-producing securities one at a time to determine if a security is an attractive investment opportunity and if it is consistent with the Portfolio’s investment policies.

The Portfolio may lend portfolio securities on a short-term or long-term basis, in an amount equal to up to one-third of its total assets as determined at the time of the loan origination.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock Although the Portfolio may be less volatile than funds that invest most of their assets in common stocks, the Portfolio’s returns and yields will vary, and you could lose money.

Fixed-Income Securities Risk. The Portfolio invests in a variety of fixed-income securities. Typically, the values of fixed-income securities change inversely with prevailing interest rates. Therefore, a fundamental risk of fixed-income securities is interest rate risk, which is the risk that the value of such securities will generally decline as prevailing interest rates rise, which may cause the Portfolio’s net asset value to likewise decrease. Due to recent events in the fixed-income markets, including the potential impact of the Federal Reserve Board tapering its quantitative easing program, the Portfolio may be subject to heightened interest rate risk as a result of a rise in interest rates. In addition, the Portfolio is subject to the risk that interest rates may exhibit increased volatility, which could cause the Portfolio’s net asset value to fluctuate more. How specific fixed-income securities may react to changes in interest rates will depend on the specific characteristics of each security. Fixed-income securities are also subject to credit risk, prepayment risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk. Credit risk is the risk that the credit strength of an issuer of a fixed-income security will weaken and/or that the issuer will be unable to make timely principal and interest payments and that the security may go into default. Prepayment risk is the risk that during periods of falling interest rates, certain fixed-income securities with higher interest rates, such as mortgage- and asset-backed securities, may be prepaid by their issuers thereby reducing the amount of interest payments. Valuation risk is the risk that one or more of the fixed-income securities in which the Portfolio invests are priced differently than the value realized upon such security’s sale. In times of market instability, valuation may be more difficult. Liquidity risk is the risk that fixed-income securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time that the portfolio managers would like or at the price the portfolio managers believe the security is currently worth.

Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Mortgage-backed securities are classified generally as either commercial mortgage-backed securities or residential mortgage-backed securities, each of which is subject to certain specific risks. Mortgage-backed securities tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than other types of debt securities. Investments in mortgage-backed securities are subject to both extension risk, where borrowers extend the duration of their mortgages in times of rising interest rates, and prepayment risk, where borrowers pay off their mortgages sooner than expected in times of declining interest rates. These risks may reduce the Portfolio’s returns. In addition, investments in mortgage-backed securities, including those comprised of subprime mortgages, may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk than various other types of fixed-income securities.

Sovereign Debt Risk. The Portfolio may invest in U.S. and non-U.S. government debt securities (“sovereign debt”). Investments in U.S. sovereign debt are considered low risk. However, investments in non-U.S. sovereign debt can involve a high degree of risk, including the risk that the governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be willing or able to repay the principal and/or to pay the interest on its sovereign debt in a timely manner. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to satisfy its debt obligation may be affected by various factors including, but not limited to, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of foreign exchange when a payment is due, and the relative size of its debt position in relation to its economy as a whole. In the event of default, there may be limited or no legal remedies for collecting sovereign debt and there may be no bankruptcy proceedings through which the Portfolio may collect all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental entity has not repaid.

High-Yield/High-Risk Bond Risk. High-yield/high-risk bonds may be more sensitive than other types of bonds to economic changes, political changes, or adverse developments specific to the company that issued the bond, which may adversely affect their value.

Loan Risks. The Portfolio may invest in a variety of loans. Bank loans are obligations of companies or other entities entered into in connection with recapitalizations, acquisitions, and refinancings. The Portfolio’s investments in bank loans are generally acquired as a participation interest in, or assignment of, loans originated by a lender or other financial institution. These investments may include institutionally-traded floating and fixed-rate debt securities. The bank loans underlying these securities often involve borrowers with low credit ratings whose financial conditions are troubled or uncertain, including companies that are highly leveraged or in bankruptcy proceedings. Participation interests and assignments involve credit, interest rate, and liquidity risk. Bridge loans involve certain risks in addition to those associated with bank loans including the risk that the borrower may be unable to locate permanent financing to replace the bridge loan, which may impair the borrower’s perceived creditworthiness. Debtor-in-possession (“DIP”) loans are subject to the risk that the entity will not emerge from bankruptcy and will be forced to liquidate its assets. Mezzanine loans generally are rated below investment grade, and frequently are unrated. Investment in mezzanine loans is a specialized practice that depends more heavily on independent credit analysis than investments in other fixed-income securities.

Foreign Exposure Risk. The Portfolio may have exposure to foreign markets as a result of its investments in foreign securities, including investments in emerging markets, which can be more volatile than the U.S. markets. As a result, its returns and net asset value may be affected to a large degree by fluctuations in currency exchange rates or political or economic conditions in a particular country. In some foreign markets, there may not be protection against failure by other parties to complete transactions. It may not be possible for the Portfolio to repatriate capital, dividends, interest, and other income from a particular country or governmental entity. In addition, a market swing in one or more countries or regions where the Portfolio has invested a significant amount of its assets may have a greater effect on the Portfolio’s performance than it would in a more geographically diversified portfolio. To the extent the Portfolio invests in foreign debt securities, such investments are sensitive to changes in interest rates. Additionally, investments in securities of foreign governments involve the risk that a foreign government may not be willing or able to pay interest or repay principal when due. The Portfolio’s investments in emerging market countries may involve risks greater than, or in addition to, the risks of investing in more developed countries.

Portfolio Turnover Risk. Increased portfolio turnover may result in higher costs, which may have a negative effect on the Portfolio’s performance.

Securities Lending Risk. The Portfolio may seek to earn additional income through lending its securities to certain qualified broker-dealers and institutions. There is the risk that when portfolio securities are lent, the securities may not be returned on a timely basis, and the Portfolio may experience delays and costs in recovering the security or gaining access to the collateral provided to the Portfolio to collateralize the loan. If the Portfolio is unable to recover a security on loan, the Portfolio may use the collateral to purchase replacement securities in the market. There is a risk that the value of the collateral could decrease below the cost of the replacement security by the time the replacement investment is made, resulting in a loss to the Portfolio.

Management Risk. The Portfolio is an actively managed investment portfolio and is therefore subject to the risk that the investment strategies employed for the Portfolio may fail to produce the intended results. The Portfolio may underperform its benchmark index or other mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

An investment in the Portfolio is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney Although the Portfolio may be less volatile than funds that invest most of their assets in common stocks, the Portfolio’s returns and yields will vary, and you could lose money.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text] rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution An investment in the Portfolio is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing how the Portfolio’s performance has varied over time. The bar chart depicts the change in performance from year to year during the periods indicated, but does not include charges or expenses attributable to any insurance product, which would lower the performance illustrated. The Portfolio does not impose any sales or other charges that would affect total return computations. Total return figures include the effect of the Portfolio’s expenses. The table compares the average annual returns for the Institutional Shares of the Portfolio for the periods indicated to a broad-based securities market index. The index is not actively managed and is not available for direct investment. All figures assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. For certain periods, the Portfolio’s performance reflects the effect of expense waivers. Without the effect of these expense waivers, the performance shown would have been lower.

The Portfolio’s past performance does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at janus.com/variable-insurance or by calling 1-877-335-2687.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing how the Portfolio’s performance has varied over time.

The bar chart depicts the change in performance from year to year during the periods indicated, but does not include charges or expenses attributable to any insurance product, which would lower the performance illustrated.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text] rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex The table compares the average annual returns for the Institutional Shares of the Portfolio for the periods indicated to a broad-based securities market index. The index is not actively managed and is not available for direct investment. All figures assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions.
Performance Availability Phone [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone 1-877-335-2687
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress janus.com/variable-insurance
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The Portfolio’s past performance does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Annual Total Returns for Institutional Shares (calendar year-end)
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock Best Quarter:  3rd Quarter 2009  5.88%          Worst Quarter:  2nd Quarter 2004  −2.87%
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Average Annual Total Returns (periods ended 12/31/13)
Performance Table Closing [Text Block] rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock Updated performance information is available at janus.com/variable-insurance or by calling 1-877-335-2687.
Flexible Bond Portfolio | Institutional Shares | Institutional Shares, Flexible Bond Portfolio
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Operating Expenses Column [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesColumnName Institutional Shares
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.51%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.05%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.56%
Expense Example, By Year, Column [Text] rr_ExpenseExampleByYearColumnName Institutional Shares
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 57
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 179
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 313
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 701
2004 rr_AnnualReturn2004 3.97%
2005 rr_AnnualReturn2005 2.00%
2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 4.22%
2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 7.04%
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 6.02%
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 13.22%
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 7.97%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 6.74%
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 8.34%
2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 (0.14%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 5.88%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2004
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (2.87%)
Column rr_AverageAnnualReturnColumnName Institutional Shares
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.14%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 7.14%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 5.88%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 7.05%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Sep. 13, 1993
Flexible Bond Portfolio | Institutional Shares | Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (2.02%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.44%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.55%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 5.63%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Sep. 13, 1993