Shark FlexStyle Review 2023: Is the 'Dyson Airwrap Dupe' Worth It?

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For hundreds of dollars less, could Shark really be better than Dyson? We tested both to find out.

Not long after Dyson stepped onto the haircare scene, it introduced the Swiss army knife of hair dryers in 2018: the Dyson Airwrap, a hair dryer, brush and curling iron in one. But now, there's a new contender that's rivaling it blow for blow: the Shark FlexStyle. Launched in 2022, the Shark multi-styler hair dryer quickly rocketed to viral fame as a Dyson Airwrap dupe. It comes equipped with an arsenal of tools for achieving nothing short of sleek blowouts to voluminous curls sans salon.

The Shark FlexStyle quickly impressed our Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab experts: It even earned a 2023 GH Beauty Award for being a standout multi-styling tool. While more affordable than the Dyson, it's still a big spend at $300. So, to help you weigh all the pros and cons, we addressed pressing questions that arise when shopping the Shark FlexStyle, including how it held up against similar models like the Dyson Airwrap.

Think of the Shark FlexStyle as a hair dryer, a hair dryer brush and a curler — all in one. The styler is designed for drying wet hair while either curling or smoothing it with just a swap of an attachment. With all that you need to style hair in one device, it drastically cuts down on the time it takes to get ready. Another selling point: the FlexStyle rotates 90 degrees and locks at a right angle to double as a powerful handheld blow dryer in a snap.

The FlexStyle uses an air jet design (in three heat and three speed settings) that claims to be less damaging to hair than traditional styling methods. One analysis by our Beauty Lab product testing pros revealed that the Shark reached 183ºF on average, compared to curling irons and hair straighteners that can reach temperatures of 350ºF and over. Plus, in our Lab tests led by Senior Chemist Sabina Wizemann, the Shark had the fastest drying time out of all the hair dryers we tested (second only to the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer) striking the right balance of airflow speed and air temperature, despite having a lower-than-average airflow.

For $330, the ultimate set is the total package. Here's what accessories are included:

Depending on your hair type, you can opt for either the curly hair set, straight hair set or build your own to choose up to three attachments. Its latest wide tooth comb and round brush are sold separately, unless you add each onto your custom bundle.

Such an array of interchangeable gadgets can get overwhelming. Fortunately, the sets have a helpful visual guide that walks through each attachment, its purpose, proper heat and speed settings and styling tips. And if you misplace it, Shark has a trove of answers to FAQs, too.

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. Each tool serves a different purpose, so we also tapped fellow staffers to see how it styled various hair types. Read ahead how the attachments worked across short to long hair and wavy to curly textures.

Since Dyson is renowned for its Coanda-effect curlers (which use airflow to wisp hair around the barrel as the airflow dries and sets hair), I was most intrigued by whether Shark's iteration could stand up against it. The FlexStyle comes with two curlers that swirl hair clockwise or counter-clockwise, depending on the section you're working on. Each section took about 15 seconds each — 20 minutes in total — shaving about 10 minutes off my usual routine. It left me with bouncy, softer-feeling curls. A fellow staffer's long, thick, curly hair took and held the curls with ease on dry hair.

Though, the 2-inch wide barrels don't offer much real estate length-wise at only 6 inches long, which meant dividing long hair into smaller sections. I also found it a bit tasking to switch the barrels in order to curl hair in different directions. Meanwhile, the Dyson has an option for longer or shorter barrels, depending on hair length, and feature a knob to switch airflow direction so you don't have to switch between barrels.

It's also worth noting that the Shark heated up quite high and the cool shot button took ample time to kick in (at least 10 seconds). Holding the cool shot button once the curl finished wrapping ensured that the temp simmered at the right time and gave good hold, which requires you to hold each curl for about 15 seconds.

Easily interchangeable, all of the brush tools feel sturdy once applied. The oval brush accessory stood out for replicating the bouncy, sleek blowout results of a hair dryer brush. This attachment has a leg up on the Dyson, which does not have an oval brush attachment at all.

It did a good job at grabbing large sections of hair, and I appreciated its holding knob at the end so I could get a better grip for curling. Another GH editor found the dryer versatile enough to see her through two haircuts (a chin-length bob and a curly pixie). "I've loved the brushes at either length, and I find it easy to convert to a standard hair dryer," she said. Just be sure to comb hair thoroughly, otherwise tangles can get caught very easily.

Quite similar to the oval brush, the round brush styles hair into a sleek blowout. I found it works best on nearly dry hair — damp hair took too long to dry. The bristles on its rounded barrel got much closer to the roots of my hair, which helped give optimal volume and worked wonders at tackling my outgrown curtain bangs. Dyson's round brush, in contrast, uses very thin individual bristles that don't tug on hair quite as much. This Shark attachment is not quite as adept at tackling thick or long hair, but it's just as great at blowing out small sections of bangs and adding more oomph to roots.

The flattened paddle brush left hair styled and dried in a few swipes, though we found it worked best moving through coarser hair types, but wasn't as well-suited for finer or straighter locks. For example, our staffer with thick, curly hair, loved the paddle attachment for simultaneous drying and smoothing pre-styling, but when I used it on my hair, it got the job done (a.k.a. gave a straighter blowout), but I didn't find it as effective at styling because it couldn't get as good a grip on my hair.

It took more effort and extra swipes of the paddle brush to flatten every bit of hair in the way a flat iron might. For that reason, I think of it more as a smoother than a true straightener. Even still, Shark's boar bristle brush made it much easier to get smoother hair than Dyson's soft, ball-tip plastic brush: I found that while it's possible to get similarly smooth hair with Dyson's paddle brush attachments, it takes longer to achieve. Another staffer with thick, dense hair also found the paddle brush on the FlexStyle superior to the Airwrap's.

Anyone who has wavy or curly hair can relate: Diffusing can be a tiresome routine. In a genius move, the FlexStyle's diffuser attachment has extendable prongs for different hair lengths and can be used with the swiveled arm, making it more ergonomic. Armed with a curl cream on wet hair, it took roughly 20 minutes to diffuse to my liking, much less time than normal for me.

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.

Using the concentrator attachment, it took mere minutes to get my medium, wavy hair about 70% dry. I typically only use the concentrator in conjunction with a round brush, so if you're willing to spend the extra money for the round brush attachment, I found it more useful than using the concentrator with a separate round brush. The results looked the same, the round brush made styling simpler.

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. However, it worked less effectively than the FlexStyle at drying hair.

When crowning a winner among the two powerhouses, the competition is stiff. To better compare them, I tried the Dyson Airwrap on one side of my hair and the Shark FlexStyle on the other. When it came to the actual styling, the Dyson felt lighter and had more easy-to-use buttons. Shark's device got much hotter, too. 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. Both curls looked identical when it all came down to it.

According to our Beauty Lab assessments, Shark's curlers replicated Dyson Airwrap's Coanda effect, creating robust, tighter waves on hair. But the most notable feature of the Shark FlexStyle is its lockable, twistable rod to accommodate different hair drying and styling methods. Shark also offers a diffuser attachment equipped with extendable prongs to accommodate all sorts of hair types, which Dyson lacks.

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.

Considering that it retails for hundreds of dollars less than the competition, the Shark FlexStyle is a great value for its versatile features and effective styling. I found downsizing to one tool a great investment, especially since I typically use a separate hair tool for everything. Not to mention, it does it all without sacrificing drying time — every styling routine I tried took less than 20 minutes compared to my typical 35 minutes.

It takes some time to figure out the best ways to use the attachments — especially as a first-time multi-styler user — but I got the hang of it more and more with each try. My wavy hair got more use out of the curling barrels, oval brush and diffuser. Plus, Shark does a great job of catering to all hair types. I appreciated that there is the option to choose dryer sets for individual hair types (at varied price points).

Alas, the tool comes with its caveats. My hair felt much smoother and bouncier when using it, but the device did get quite hot. Consequentially, the cool shot button takes significant time to kick in, and I often ended up foregoing using it for the full time... and losing my curls as result. And while it's more affordable than the Dyson, it's still got a hefty price tag. You'll likely get the most use of it if you regularly style your hair with different hot tools. It all depends on your budget and hair care needs, but we found the Shark FlexStyle well worth every dollar.

SHOP THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE HAIR DRYER

Jacqueline (she/her) covers all things e-commerce in beauty, lifestyle and beyond for the Good Housekeeping Institute. Before joining GH in 2021, she was a style and beauty reviews fellow at Insider, testing viral trends, reviewing sustainable brands and more. She's a graduate of the University of Florida's School of Journalism, with a specialty in magazines and mass communication.

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