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I also wanted to get an opinion on the Shark FlexStyle 5-In-1 Air Styler & Dryer from someone with a different hair type to my own. I reached out to Who What Wear UK social media editor Joy Ejaria, who has been using the tool for a few months. The tool in question is the Shark FlexStyle 5-In-1 Air Styler & Hair Dryer, which has been making waves in more ways than one since it launched back in September 2022—it's already racked up an impressive 338.2M views on TikTok and counting. Much like Dyson, Shark is best known for its vacuums, and first launched with a hairdryer in 2021 as I can only assume it also ended up getting FOMO because the beauty industry is pretty darn great and, if done right, exceptionally lucrative. Sign up for WWD Shop’s newsletter to get the scoop on the best in beauty and style with in-depth reviews of exciting new releases and buyer’s guides to find the products you need to try ASAP. If you're someone who counts a big bouncy blow-dry as a personality trait, this promises salon-worthy results from the comfort of home.
Bottom line: Is the Shark FlexStyle worth it?

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.
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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.
Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System Ultimate Travel Set in Copper
When it came to the actual styling, the Dyson felt lighter and had more easy-to-use buttons. It reached up to 185ºF, while the Dyson reached around 158ºF, based on past testing, which means the Dyson may be less damaging to hair over time — but both are far less damaging than traditional heat tools that can operate well past 400ºF. At its highest heat, the Shark's cool shot button took longer to kick in, but once it did, it locked in hairstyles.
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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.
Shark Flexstyle vs. Dyson Airwrap: Dryer

The Dyson Airwrap will set you back £479, while the Shark FlexStyle comes in £200 cheaper at £279. Notable attachment differences include the FlexStyle’s concentrator, which the Airwrap lacks, and the Airwrap’s additional, larger curling barrel (1.6 inches). The two tools’ brush attachments differ slightly in style too, with the Airwrap having more size options, and the FlexStyle offering an additional shape (oval, in addition to the traditional paddle and round brush heads).
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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.
Round brush
Both the Airwrap and the FlexStyle use Coanda airflow technology, which factors into patents that Dyson owns related to the Airwrap (PDF)—intellectual property that Shark parent company SharkNinja says it has not infringed.
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Consider the Shark SpeedStyle a little sister to Shark’s TikTok-famous beauty product, the FlexStyle. The tool has fewer attachments — a factor that makes it less overwhelming to figure out and utilize — but doesn’t sacrifice on power, styling speed, or results. On top of its lightweight build and hair-healthy heat limitations, the SmoothStyle is available in two configurations, catering to hair types from straight to coily. As with the Dyson Airwrap, it’s the FlexStyle’s attachments that make the tool unique and useful for all hair types and textures. The Shark FlexStyle hair dryer is compatible with a total of seven attachments.
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.
Good Housekeeping Institute Deputy Editor Jessica Teich has over a decade of experience in the beauty industry and is a long-time product tester, reviewer, writer and editor of beauty and lifestyle content. She tested both the Dyson Airwrap and Shark Flexstyle multi-stylers first-hand and reported her genuine experience in addition to findings from the Good Housekeeping Beauty Lab. When it comes to the Dyson, the multi-styler is more expensive, but Teich appreciates that it was found by the Beauty Lab to operate at a cooler temperature, compared to the Shark, which makes it less damaging to hair over time. Both are designed to seamlessly dry wet to damp hair, with concentrating tools focusing the air to blow your hair in one direction.
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