Represents the aggregate outstanding principal of amounts borrowed under the Credit Agreement.

No definition available.

Name:	holx_PrincipalAmountOfBorrowings
Namespace Prefix:	holx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of write-down of assets recognized in the income statement. Includes, but is not limited to, losses from tangible assets, intangible assets and goodwill.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109226348&loc=d3e2420-110228

+ Details

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

- Definition

Fair value portion of debt instrument payable, including, but not limited to, notes payable and loans payable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109250915&loc=d3e13433-108611

+ Details

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

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of loss from the write-down of an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108376223&loc=d3e13854-109267

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108376223&loc=d3e13816-109267

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99380562&loc=d3e13777-109266

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance and having a projected indefinite period of benefit.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66006027&loc=d3e16323-109275

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=holx_CreditAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=holx_AccountsReceivableSecuritizationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=holx_A2025SeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=holx_A2028SeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=holx_MedicalAestheticsDomain
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_InProcessResearchAndDevelopmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByAssetClassAxis=holx_AcquiredintangibleassetsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByAssetClassAxis=us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Fair Value Measurements - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Jun. 29, 2019	Mar. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Jun. 29, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset and equipment impairment charges	$ 443,800,000	$ 443,800,000			$ 443,800,000	$ 46,000,000.0
Goodwill impairment charge	0		$ 0		0	$ 685,700,000
Borrowed principal	1,000,000,000.0				1,000,000,000.0
Credit Agreement
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Borrowed principal	1,500,000,000				1,500,000,000
Securitization Program
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Borrowed principal	234,000,000.0				234,000,000.0
2025 Senior Notes
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Fair value of debt instrument	963,100,000				963,100,000
2028 Senior Notes
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Fair value of debt instrument	406,000,000.0				406,000,000.0
Medical Aesthetics
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset and equipment impairment charges				$ 443,800,000
Goodwill impairment charge				685,700,000
Carrying value of indefinite-lived intangibles	$ 0				$ 0
In Process Research and Development \| Medical Aesthetics
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset and equipment impairment charges				46,000,000.0
Acquired intangible assets
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset and equipment impairment charges		437,000,000.0
Property, Plant and Equipment
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset and equipment impairment charges		$ 6,800,000
Property, Plant and Equipment \| Medical Aesthetics
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset and equipment impairment charges				$ 6,800,000