As a beauty editor, one question I always get asked is: ‘Should I get the Dyson Airwrap or the Shark FlexStyle?‘ When you’re looking for spend £300 or more on a hair tool such as a hair multi-styler or hot brush, you want it to be the right investment for you and your hair’s specific needs. Because there is nothing worse than spending hard-earned money on a hair tool that ultimately ends up gathering dust.
Having owned the Dyson Airwrap for over two years and more recently tested the Shark FlexStyle over the past couple of months, I have a lot of thoughts about these wet-to-dry hot air stylers. With the Dyson Airwrap costing just shy of £480, you might be wondering if it’s worth saving a little more on the Shark Flexstyle, which comes in at just under £300. It is still an investment purchase, but one that is a considerable £180 cheaper.
As someone who tries several hair tools as part of my day job, I’ve put them both through their paces and while they have their similarities, they also each have plenty of unique differences, benefits and downsides.
If you’re still trying to decide which hair tool is best for you, I’ve shared my in-depth, honest review with pictures using each tool, with the pros and cons for each that can help guide your decision. Scroll ahead for everything you need to know about the Dyson Airwrap and Shark FlexStyle.
Dyson Airwrap vs Shark Flexstyle: Specifications:
Dyson
Airwrap I.d.™ Multi-Styler and Dryer
The Dyson Airwrap Models: The newest Dyson Airwrap I.d. now comes in several options with different attachments to cater to your hair type and needs. These include:
Straight + Wavy:
Soft Smoothing Brush
Conical Airwrap Barrel
40mm Airwrap Long Barrel
Large Round Volumising Brush
Dryer+Flyaway Smoother
Fast Dryer
Filter Cleaning Brush
Storage Case
Curly + Coily:
Diffuser
Large Round Volumising Brush
Conical Airwrap Barrel
Wide-Tooth Comb
Fast Dryer
Filter Cleaning Brush
Storage Case
Complete Long Volumise:
Firm Smoothing Brush
40mm Airwrap Long Barrel
30mm Airwrap Long Barrel
Large Round Volumising Brush
Dryer+Flyaway Smoother
Diffuser
Detangling Comb
Filter Cleaning Brush
Storage Case
Specifications:
Coanda technology
3 speed settings
3 heat settings, including constant cold shot button
Max temperature 150°C
0.58kg
Shark
Flexstyle 5-In-1 Air Styler & Hair Dryer With Storage Case
The Shark FlexStyle Models:
The Flexstyle comes with a range of attachments. On Shark’s website, there is also a ‘build you own’ version for £270, where you can pick and choose any four attachments that you would like in your kit.
Flexstyle 5-In-1 Air Styler & Hair Dryer:
2 32mm Auto-Wrap Curlers (for left and right)
Paddle Brush
Oval Brush
Styling Concentrator
Curl-Defining Diffuser
Storage Case
Specifications:
3 speed settings
3 heat settings
Cold shot button
0.7kg
Max temperature 95°C
The Attachments:
Depending on which model you go for from each brand, you’ll find an assortment of attachments to dry, curl, straighten, smooth and volumise. Ahead, I’ve road-tested the attachments side by side so you can see how well they worked.
The Curling Wands:
Left: Shark FlexStyle Curling Wand, Right: Dyson Curling Wand:
Shark FlexStyle: In the standard set, the curling barrels come in one size (32mm), however, in the build your own kit, you can opt for the 24mm barrels that will give a tighter curl. There are two of these in the set: one that rotates the hair left, and the other the right. It was a bit of a pain having to change them over, but not a deal-breaker. I found that I had to use slightly smaller sections of hair as the barrels struggled to ‘grab’ my hair. However, I was really impressed with the curls and their lasting power compared to the Dyson Airwrap curls, which fell out more quickly. I would like the cool shot button to cool down the hair a little quicker, but all in all, I liked using these.
Dyson Airwrap: This comes with two curling barrel sizes, with a larger 40mm size for loose curls and a narrower 30mm size for tighter curls. Here, I opted for the 40mm size. I found the barrels grabbed my hair really easily (that will be the Dyson Coanda effect, that draws hair around the barrel with the airflow) and it was quick to cool down with the cool shot button to set my style. While the process was easier, I did find the curls dropped out a little easier. However, I love that you don’t need to change the barrel to swap the airflow direction—you simply flip a switch at the top of the barrel and the direction reverses, which is a nice touch.
The Hairdryers:
Left: Shark FlexStyle Hairdryer Nozzle, Right: Dyson Hairdryer Nozzle
Shark FlexStyle: I really like the Shark FlexStyle hairdryer nozzle (and the fact that the handle pivots to a 90-degree angle so you can use it as a hairdryer—genius) and I’ve actually been using it as my regular hairdryer day-to-day. It’s powerful and dries my hair really fast. Plus, the smoothing nozzle helps to guide the airflow down your lengths, which ensures a silky smooth finish. However, even without it, the hairdryer is great for rough-drying your hair before going in with other attachments.
Dyson Airwrap: The new Dyson Airwrap I.d. model also comes with another hairdrying attachment, however, the smoothing and drying nozzle is also included in the latest device and the older model I own. It can be used as a hairdryer to rough-dry hair, but also a dedicated flyaway smoother. Simply rotate the switch at the top and the airflow travels around the curve of the attachment, which when you run down your hair it neatly tucks in any stray hairs of flyaways. As someone with frizz-prone hair, this is a really great addition to have. However, I don’t think the hairdryer on this is as powerful to completely replace my current one to take my hair from wet to fully dry, but it’s fine for rough-drying hair before styling with the other attachments.
The Round Brushes:
Left: Shark FlexStyle Round Brush, Right: Dyson Round Brush
Shark FlexStyle: First of all, I love the large size of this round brush. Having long and thick hair, it means I can take larger sections and style faster. The mix of pin bristles and softer ones create good tension while polishing the hair to leave it feeling sleek and looking shiny while providing plenty of blowdry bounce. It provided a softer ripple through the hair compared to Dyson’s narrower brush.
Dyson Airwrap: Dyson’s round brush is smaller, which gives the hair more of a bouncy curl that you’d get with a traditional round brush. The bristles are soft but surprisingly create good tension while polishing from root to tip and providing lots of bounce. It’s smaller than the FlexStyle, so it takes longer to style as it will only fit small sections. With the newer I.d. models, it looks like a larger round brush is available, so I would be tempted to upgrade and buy the larger attachment for my long hair.
The Smoothing Brushes:
Left: Shark FlexStyle Paddle Brush, Right: Dyson Firm Smoothing Brush
Shark FlexStyle: Shark’s offers one paddle brush, which as mixed bristles to help you straighten and smooth. While it did leave my hair looking and feeling sleek, I found that the airflow sprung out at the sides, which did ruffle my hair up a bit as I glided it through my lengths. While it was enough to straighten my slightly wavy hair, I think it would require a lot more work for someone with curly or coily hair to stretch out curls before straightening. However, it may help to take some of the legwork out of the process.
Dyson Airwrap: You get two brushes to choose from here, including a soft paddle brush (which is ideal for detangling and drying) and a firm smoothing brush, which helps to stretch and straighten your lengths. I used the firm brush here and it left my hair feeling smooth. I like that the bristles of each attachment pivot slightly as you run them through your hair, so it doesn’t tug but still provides a good amount of tension to get the job done. My friend with type 2 curls rates the smoothing brushes that straighten her lengths while retaining her natural bounce.
Top: Dyson Storage Cases, Bottom: Shark Storage Case
Dyson Airwrap: Both of these cases feel really premium. Dyson’s Airwrap attachments and handle all fit neatly into the case with a lid that lifts on and off. There is also the option to have your initials monogrammed onto the case which is a nice touch.
Shark FlexStyle: The Shark FlexStyle vanity-style case unzips into two compartments which feature netted compartments to neatly store each of your styling heads.
The Verdict: Which Is Better?
Dyson Airwrap
Pros: Sleek design and case, quieter than the FlexStyle, easy to switch direction of curling wands, two curling wands included, different models for different hair textures, cold shot button cools down hair quickly after styling to set hair
Cons: Expensive, curls can drop out quickly
Shark FlexStyle
Pros: Less expensive compared to the Airwrap, curls last longer compared to Airwrap, option to choose your own attachments for your hair type
Cons: Louder than the Airwrap, slightly heavier than Airwrap, curling wands don’t grab hair as easily, you have to change the curling wand to change the direction of the curl, only one size of the curling wand in the standard set, cold shot button takes longer to cool hair after styling
The Verdict: Overall, these are both really good hair multi-stylers, which I have to admit produce virtually the same results. Side by side, I can’t really detect a difference post-styling in the pictures.
Ultimately, it really comes down to the price and the user experience. I feel the overall experience of using the Dyson Airwrap is better; it’s quieter (I can use this while holding a conversation easily), it’s nice to hold and the and attachments and buttons are easy to use while looking seriously sleek. However, even with all of this in mind, the £480 price tag is hard to justify. It’s a huge investment for a hair tool, but the detailed touches make it luxurious to use.
The Shark FlexStyle is noisier (I struggle to hear over it compared to the Dyson Airwrap) and I found that the curling wands didn’t ‘grab’ my hair quite as easily as the Airwrap. That being said, I did find that the curls held better in my hair in comparison. With the results rivalling that of the Airwrap, going for the FlexStyle could save you £180, which isn’t insignificant.
All in all, both of these hair tools will give you a very, very similar result, and they both offer customised options so that you can get the best attachments for your hair type and desired result. So, I would say it really comes down to your budget. Like getting an Uber, both a standard car and exec car will get you from A to B. The exec will be more of a luxurious user experience, but a standard car will still get the job done while saving you money.
Shop Now:
Shark
Flexstyle 5-In-1 Air Styler & Hair Dryer With Storage Case
Dyson
Airwrap I.d.™ Multi-Styler and Dryer
