Beauty Editor Shark FlexStyle 5-in-1 Styler Review 2023
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The dryer weighs just 1.54 pounds, so it’s an excellent travel hair dryer, too. The newest version of the Dyson has a new larger round brush that is outfitted with tightly packed pin bristles. This allows the brush to be able to get hair smooth without the need for boar bristles. Shark’s offering features a more oval-shaped round brush that has both boar and pin bristles. The more elongated oval shape allows the brush attachment to function as a paddle brush and round brush in one — it gets hair smooth and straight but the wide edges also allow it to add volume to your hair. The Dyson Airwrap has a dual use hair dryer attachment that allows users to use the tool as a blowdryer when the air vents are facing forward and then as a smoothing tool when the vents are turned toward the back.
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Kaitlin Clark is a senior beauty commerce editor at Byrdie whose ultimate goal in life is to rock 90s supermodel hair every day. This mission has led her on a journey of testing and comparing dozens of volumizing hot tools, brushes and curling wands over the years. Overall, both tools perform beautifully–they gave me shiny, bouncy, commercial-worthy hair every single time for every single look I styled. The Shark pulled through, however, simply because it offers a wider range of hairstyles and caters to more hair types and textures, courtesy of its included diffuser.
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Best for Styling: Shark SpeedStyle RapidGloss Finisher & High-Velocity Hair Dryer
Alternately, the Shark Flexstyle has a swivel function that allows you to hold the tool in the same way you would a traditional blowdryer. It also has a concentrator that focuses the airstream and ultimately helps to reduce frizz or can be used to smooth flyaways. The $600 Dyson Airwrap, which launched in 2018, has the same drying, straightening, and curling capabilities. But unlike the FlexStyle, it cannot completely replace a traditional hair dryer, as it is meant to get hair only semi-dry before you use the other attachments, though some people do find it adequate for their drying needs.
Round brush
A key selling point for the SpeedStyle is its RapidGloss Finisher, which is included in both configurations of the tool. Simply run the attachment from your roots to ends, and it uses special airflow technology to flatten flyaways and create uniformity in otherwise unruly strands. This attachment will be a revelation for anyone who tests it out — it’s handy for any hair type and works like magic on freshly washed and styled hair as well as hair looks that need some reviving between washes. On the other hand, Shark’s paddle brush features both boar and pin bristles and does not have the Coanda effect, making it prone to creating more frizz. However, Teich said that because the paddle brush attachment features side bristles, it can also be easily used in the same way you would use a round brush.
Introduced in 2022, the $300 Shark FlexStyle is a powerful hair dryer, hair straightener, and hair curler. When buying the FlexStyle directly from Shark, you can choose which of the nine available attachments you’d like included with your kit. (A variety of bundles with different included attachments are available for purchase at other retailers.) You can also buy additional attachments separately, for $30 each. Like sisters from different corporate misters, the $600 Dyson Airwrap and $300 Shark FlexStyle are both multipurpose styling tools that can dry, straighten, and curl hair.
I also found the auto-wrap curlers to be on par with the Dyson Airwrap but the Airwrap does feature two different barrel sizes, which gives you the choice between a tighter or looser curl. Really, it all boils down to budget, and if you have the money to spend on Dyson's much-loved tool, I would say to go for it, but if you're unwilling to do so the FlexStyle is a great option. The Dyson Airwrap neither swivels into a hair dryer nor comes with concentrator nozzle — though, it comes with a rough dry/flyaway attachment to get hair partially dry before styling more heavily. Dyson's comparable flyaway attachment was tricky to figure out because of its unique shape, but once configuring the settings to high speed and low heat, it tamed flyaways before my eyes. Quite similar to the oval brush, the round brush styles hair into a sleek blowout.
The curl-defining diffuser promises fast, even drying from root to tip and has a lever on the side to extend or retract the prongs for customisable air flow. As someone who doesn't diffuse their hair, I couldn't give this an honest first person review but in carrying out research for this feature I have read countless reviews singing its praises from people, especially with curly and coily hair. The Airwrap’s button placement is significantly better than the FlexStyle’s, making that tool easier to control during use. Using the concentrator attachment, it took mere minutes to get my medium, wavy hair about 70% dry.
Former digital deputy beauty director Sophia Panych agrees about the efficiency. Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly need or want another hair tool (if you read my review on the GHD Hot Air Styler, you’ll know why), another one shows up, luring me in like a moth to the flame. I’m minding my own business, sipping my takeaway oat flat white and there it is plastered on the side of a bus. I’m waiting for the tube after a long day of events and meetings, and there it is again, staring down at me from the opposite side of the platform.
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Though both the Dyson and Shark excellently style hair into a range of styles and looks, there are major differences between the two (and the price tag is only one of them). Below, I test and break down the key differences between the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler and the Shark FlexStyle so you can make the purchasing decision that best suits your hair type and texture as well as your budget. Since 1910, WWD — often referred to as “the fashion bible” — has been the leading industry voice of authority for senior executives in the global women’s and men’s fashion, retail and beauty communities, while also informing the consumer media that cover the market. Today, WWD’s breaking news and trend coverage continues to be a trustworthy resource for both fashion insiders and consumers alike. Our shopping editors continue to uphold WWD’s editorial standards and values with quality, expert-backed product selections.
Kaitlin has worked in beauty editorial for ten years and has been a senior beauty commerce editor at Byrdie since 2022. When looking at both of these multi-stylers purely based on price alone, the Shark Flexstyle is clearly the more affordable option. It sells for about $299, which is nearly half the price of the newest version of the Dyson Airwrap, which retails for close to $600.
A fellow staffer's long, thick, curly hair took and held the curls with ease on dry hair. Both tools have four heat settings, including a cool shot, and three airflow speed settings. There’s not a world of difference when it comes to the horsepower between the two.
Dyson does have a slimmer build and two-directional, longer Coanda curlers, but all said, I think you're getting far more for your money with the Shark FlexStyle than with the Dyson Airwrap. It comes with a slew of thoughtful attachments — like a diffuser and oval brush, both of which Dyson lacks — and the capability to turn into a hair dryer. The boar bristles on the brushes make it easier to smooth out hair in less swipes, too, although those bristles can be harsher on curlier or thicker hair types. As a commerce editor who regularly tries the latest and greatest beauty products, I put the Shark FlexStyle to the test to see if it could live up to its reputation as a usurper to the industry's most coveted product. I used every attachment on my naturally wavy, medium-textured hair over the course of two weeks and pitted it against the Dyson Airwrap in terms of attachments, ease of use and overall results.
A defining feature for Dyson’s paddle brush attachment is that it makes use of the brand’s Coanda effect, which tames flyaways and delivers a smooth and sleek finish. As Teich used the product on her hair, she noted that the air flow phenomenon keeps the air blowing downward no matter which angle you are pointing it. The flexible bristles also allow for more control when styling, though Teich said that the round brush attachment provided more tension.
Dyson’s Airwrap Multi-Styler is a seriously impressive, versatile hairstyling tool that can deliver nearly every type of hair look you could want—with a hefty price tag to match. Yet, Shark’s FlexStyle tipped the scales by creating equally gorgeous hair moments with even more attachment options than the Dyson (not to mention it’s also a stand-alone hair dryer), for a fraction of the price. I also noticed that this diffuser gave a bit more definition and volume than my normal routine, yet kept my hair feeling soft. Other diffusers I've tried typically took much longer and didn't work much toward reducing frizz. Plus, curly haired users who want the Airwrap should note that Dyson doesn't make a diffuser attachment, so you won't have the option to diffuse at all with the Airwrap, even if you opt for the set made for curly hair.
The SmoothStyle isn’t simply a hair dryer brush — it also functions as a heated straightening comb. Take a closer look at the barrel, and you’ll see that along with two types of bristles, the brush head has raised, heat-friendly ceramic plates. Depending on the setting you select, the SmoothStyle can either take your hair from damp to smooth and dry, or frizzy and inconsistent to lustrous and uniformly sleek. To get to the bottom of the key differences between both stylers, Good Housekeeping Institute Deputy Editor, Jessica Teich, and the Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab put them to a side-by-side test. This all-in-one hair tool offers the styling power of a traditional hair dryer and comes with your choice of straightening and curling attachments. We always enlist a range of testers for any review, but hair-care products and tools are another story.
Some reviews claim that the Airwrap dries hair slightly faster than the FlexStyle. In our timed testing on fine, straight hair, we could not replicate this result. To minimize heat damage, look for tools that feature multiple temperature settings because high heat isn't always necessary—especially for fine hair types. If you have the time, low heat is best for stymieing damage caused by heated hair tools, and don't forget to prep with a heat-protectant. You might already be using one, though, as many leave-in products include protective ingredients. Cosmetic chemist Ginger King previously told Allure readers to look for heat-protecting products whose formulas feature ingredients like meadowfoam seed oil and VP/DMAPA acrylates copolymer.
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