I Just Tried the Viral Shark Hair Tool—These Are My Honest Thoughts

I'll come clean: I have absolutely no need, want or desire for another hair styler or hot brush in my life. I'm already a huge fan of the GHD Duet Hot Air Styler for taking hair from wet to sleek, straight and dry and, as a beauty editor, have tried the lot when it comes to hair tools. Yet the Shark FlexStyle 5-In-1 Air Styler & Hair Dryer (£300) has lured me in like a moth to a flame.

I’ll be minding my own business, sipping my takeaway oat flat white, when 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. Finally, it’s time to get into my PJs, put my feet up and treat myself to an uninterrupted scroll session—of course, it’s the first thing I see when I open social media. Okay, okay. You’ve got my attention.

What Is the Shark FlexStyle?

The innovative hair multistyler 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 the Dyson Airwrap, Shark is best known for its vacuums, and first launched with a hair dryer 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.

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The Shark FlexStyle is basically a multitasking styling tool, which combines the benefits of a hair dryer, curler, straightener and hot brush into one tool. Unlike regular styling tools, it uses less direct heat, so it is much kinder to hair, ultimately reducing the chance of hair turning dry and brittle from over-styling.

The Shark FlexStyle has six different attachments.

The moment I finally gave in to the signs the universe was clearly trying to give me (in other words, I’m an advertiser's dream) was when an email came through one morning announcing my favourite celebrity hairstylist, Chris Appleton, as Shark Beauty’s newest global ambassador, as well as the release of the SpeedStyle and SmoothStyle. A quick email back to the PR, and I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of my newest hair tool.

But the real question is, how does it actually perform? Keep reading for my honest first thoughts, including my opinions on the attachments and whether it’s worth investing in.

What Is Included With the Shark Flexstyle?

1. Hair Dryer Mode

The main body of the FlexStyle has four heat settings and three airflow options. You can attach and detach each styler by pushing it onto the nozzle until it clicks. First, I put the styling concentrator to the test, which dries and styles the hair at the same time. A real USP of the FlexStyle is the rotating nozzle, which makes it feel more like a traditional hair dryer. I found it dried my hair quickly, and I was really happy with the style, softness and shine. However, I still count the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer as my number one blow-drying tool, but with a £330 price tag, I would definitely advise investing in a multi-styler instead.

2. Oval and Paddle Brush

The oval brush is designed to smooth, defrizz and add volume and bounce, while the paddle brush features bristles designed to create added tension for straightening, smoothing and shining. I am extremely prone to flyaways, and I really rated both heads for making it look super slick whilst adding the most incredible shine and softness to the hair. For me, the oval brush reigns supreme when compared to its more expensive counterparts, as it has more grip and adds way more volume.

3. Auto-Wrap Curlers

If you've tried the Airwrap or similar tools, you'll take to these attachments like a duck to water; if not, it may take some time getting used to them. The left barrel will turn the curl counterclockwise and is recommended for the left side of the head, whilst the right barrel will create a clockwise curl and is recommended for the right side of the head.

Shark advises holding the barrel in place for 10 seconds, then pressing the cool shot button and continuing to hold for another 10 seconds. On both the FlexStyle and Dyson Airwrap, I've found the curl is inclined to drop out quite quickly, so I would recommend adding a styling and heat-protecting product to your hair beforehand and investing in a good hairspray. It also tends to work better if your hair isn't freshly washed.

4. Curl-Defining Diffuser 

The top image shows the retracted prongs for shorter, finer hair, and the bottom image shows the extended prongs for longer, thicker hair.

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 Shark FlexStyle vs. Dyson AirWrap

Dyson Airwrap vs Shark Flexstyle: who comes out as the best? As an owner of the Dyson Airwrap, on first glance, the Shark FlexStyle is extremely similar—they both have attachments to allow you to create straight, wavy or curly hairstyles with the use of an airflow design to reduce breakage and Coanda technology that wraps hair around the barrels. The main point of difference? The Dyson Airwrap will set you back £480, whilst the Shark FlexStyle comes in £180 cheaper at £300.

I also wanted to get an opinion on the Shark FlexStyle 5-In-1 Air Styler & Dryer from someone with a different hair type from my own. I reached out to former Who What Wear UK social media editor Joy Ejaria, who has been using the tool for a few months.

"I've been a Dyson Airwrap girl for a long time and swear by it, so I didn't think any other hair tool would come and knock it off the top of my leaderboard. Shark's FlexStyle 5-in-1 Hair Styler & Dryer has managed to do that. The different attachments of the tool make achieving whatever hairstyle I desire oh so simple. On days when I want to wear my hair bone-straight, I dry it with the paddle brush and often find that I don't even need to use a hair straightener afterwards. Wash days are a total breeze now."

The Final Verdict

In all honesty, the Shark FlexStyle has really won me over, and I love how versatile it is. I have a long bob hairstyle, and thanks to the FlexStyle, I can choose between sleek, straight styles, voluminous blowouts and tousled wavy styles—it literally works for everything. The styling concentrator, oval and paddle brush really stood out to me for adding unrivalled shine, volume and smoothness to the hair. Plus, I find the shape and size of the tool to be really easy to use; more so than other stylers I've tried. I can easily manoeuvre to reach the back of my head, and don't have to stretch into awkward positions to ensure I've not missed any hard-to-reach areas.

I also found the auto-wrap curlers to be on par with the Dyson Airwrap, although the Airwrap features two barrel sizes, which gives you the choice between a tighter or looser curl. Personally, I do find that my curls drop quite quickly when using the curler attachments, but as I said, they do the same when I use the Dyson AirWrap, so this could be down to the texture of my hair or the products I'm using to prep it.

Really, it all boils down to budget, and if you have the money to spend on Dyson's much-loved tool, I would say go for it, but if you're unwilling to do so, the FlexStyle is a great option. Plus, you'll have £180 to spend on a pair of new shoes instead.

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