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Shark FlexStyle: two-minute assessment
We’ve got re-reviewed the FlexStyle and completely up to date this text to replicate new checks, modifications in pricing and availability. The general rating has elevated to three.5. The assessment incorporates the experiences of three testers.
The Shark FlexStyle – or to provide its full title, the Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Hair Drying System – is a tube formed dryer onto which a wide range of instruments will be hooked up to attain a spread of types. We examined one out to see the way it compares to the remainder of the best hair stylers on the market, and have been fairly impressed.
That is Shark’s reply to the perpetually common Dyson Airwrap. Similar to that multi-styler, the FlexStyle has the all-important auto-wrap curl barrels, form strands of hair into coils because it dries them, with out the necessity for the scorching warmth of conventional curling tongs. Functionally, these work just about identically to the Airwrap, though right here you may must swap over barrels once you wish to transfer from clockwise to anticlockwise curls. That minor annoyance apart, this is among the very best Dyson Airwrap dupes we have examined.
Total, the design is balanced, comfy to make use of, and feels well-built. It packs a very good quantity of energy too – though not fairly as a lot as one among as we speak’s best hair dryers. Past the auto-wrap barrels, there’s a variety of suitable equipment, which make this software appropriate for a spread of hair varieties and lengths. In some international locations you’ll be able to decide those you need included together with your FlexStyle bundle, so you are not caught with a bunch of attachments you do not want, too.
On check, we discovered outcomes diversified by software, with some impressing greater than others. Word too that, whereas utilizing the Coanda impact to create curls is undoubtedly higher in your hair, it is fiddlier and the outcomes are likely to drop far faster than when utilizing a conventional curling tong. That is the quick model; learn on for our full Shark FlexStyle assessment.
Shark FlexStyle assessment: value & availability
- Listing value: $279.99 / £269.99 / AU$499.99
- Launched: 2022
The Shark FlexStyle launched again in 2022, and has an inventory value of $279.99 within the US, £269.99 within the UK and AU$499.99 in Australia. You should buy direct from Shark or through a spread of third social gathering retailers. Shark is not any stranger to a sale, so when you’re sensible about once you purchase, you’ll be able to keep away from paying full value (preserve an eye fixed out for a Shark promo codes, too).
When you go direct to Shark within the US or UK, you’ll be able to construct your individual bundle. You get the bottom mannequin, after which decide 4 from the big selection of suitable equipment (the left and proper curlers rely as one, don’t fret!). That is a intelligent system because it means you’ll be able to select solely the instruments you want in your hair sort and routine. It’s also possible to buy equipment individually from Shark.
You’ll be able to decide up styling instruments at any value, however you need to count on to pay a little bit of a premium for one which makes use of the Coanda impact for curling. The construct high quality right here is nice, and vast number of suitable attachments and comfort of the auto-wrapping curl barrels goes a way in the direction of justifying the expense.
The principle competitor on this space is the Dyson Airwrap. The earlier mannequin (which it is nonetheless attainable to pay money for… for now) comes with an inventory value of $599.99 / £479.99 / AU$849.99, and the latest iteration, the Airwrap i.d., is $599.99 / £479.99 / $849. So quite a bit pricier than the Shark. That styler does really feel extra premium, although, and does some helpful issues the FlexStyle can not.
As time has gone on, we have seen extra Airwrap dupes arriving in the marketplace, and a few are considerably cheaper even than the FlexStyle. For instance, within the US there’s the Sharper Image Revel 6-in-1 Multi-Styler for $269.99, and within the UK the Revamp Dynamic Radiance Pro Blow Dry 7-in-1 Ionic Air Styler for £179.99.
- Worth for cash rating: 3.5 out of 5
Shark FlexStyle specs
|
Wattage: |
1400W (US), 1600W (UK) |
|
Temperature settings: |
3 + cool shot |
|
Velocity settings: |
3 |
|
Twine: |
8ft / 2.4m |
|
Dimension w/ no attachments (L x W): |
11.3 x 1.7″ / 28.7 x 4.4cm |
|
Weight w/ no attachments: |
1.5 lbs |
|
Attachment choices (differ by nation): |
1.25″ auto-wrap curlers (L + R), 0.95″ auto-wrap curlers (L + R), concentrator, spherical bristle brush, paddle brush, oval bristle brush, vast tooth comb, diffuser, ‘FrizzFighter’ ending software |
Shark FlexStyle assessment: design
- Simple-to-reach and use controls
- Properly-balanced and comfy to carry
- Attachments are sturdily constructed, and are available on and off simply
The design includes a tube-shaped dryer with numerous attachments. The principle barrel feels balanced and pretty light-weight, with a 5.5-inch circumference that matches neatly within the palm of your hand. On the barrel you may discover the controls – an on/off toggle, buttons to regulate windspeed and temperature (there are three settings for every, with indicator lights displaying which mode you are in), and a button greater up the barrel for the cool shot.
The dryer itself seems to be and feels top quality, though not fairly as premium because the Airwrap. We have examined each the gold and again colorways, and much favor the latter – the beige attachments on the gold mannequin look slightly low cost, and turn out to be soiled simply.
The highest part pivots and locks at a proper angle, lowering the size from 11.3 inches to round 8.5 inches and making it very comfy to make use of as a hair dryer.
Including attachments makes it slightly lengthy – the 6-inch auto-wrap barrels take the full size of the styler to a considerably cumbersome 17.5 inches – nevertheless it’s a testomony to Shark’s engineering that it stays properly balanced regardless of which attachment you employ. This, coupled with its mild weight, makes even probably the most complicated and long-winded types comfy to finish.
Whereas it’s true the Shark FlexStyle can substitute quite a few your present hair instruments, don’t count on it to avoid wasting you a variety of area within the course of, as lots of the attachments are slightly cumbersome. One among our assessment samples got here with a show field, which is giant however seems to be sensible and not less than provides you someplace to stash away all the varied bits neatly. (The field is not typically included as normal, however is among the choices within the construct your individual bundle.)
A minor criticism is that the cable is thick and has an influence pack round a 3rd of the way in which down. This makes it troublesome to wrap or coil neatly for storage, and the facility pack provides what appears like an pointless quantity of bulk when lifting the styler above and round your head. Stated cable can also be barely shorter than we might ideally like, at 8ft / 2.4m.
Attachments
The FlexStyle initially launched with a comparatively restricted vary of attachments, however within the years since has added extra choices. Now, it boasts one of many widest ranges of suitable attachments of any multi-styler… though the choice nonetheless is not fairly as complete because the Airwrap’s. (Word these could differ barely by nation.) For our assessment, we examined the next attachments:
- 1.25″ auto-wrap curlers
- Concentrator
- Paddle brush
- Oval bristle brush
- Diffuser
Additionally out there, however not examined right here, are:
- 0.95″ auto-wrap curlers
- Spherical bristle brush
- Extensive tooth comb
- ‘FrizzFighter’ ending software (to rival Dyson’s common Flyaway software).
These all snap on simply, and will be launched by knocking down the lock button. In addition they have cool-touch areas so you’ll be able to take away them with out burning your fingers.
Picture 1 of 2
The auto-wrap curlers have an aesthetic matte end and are marked with arrows so you’ll be able to see at a look if it is a clockwise or anti-clockwise barrel. Each the oval and paddle brushes are on the massive facet, a lot bigger than the dimensions of an everyday hairbrush, and positively geared in the direction of these with longer, thicker hair (it seems to be just like the spherical bristle brush could be a greater match for mid-length locks). The diffuser can also be slightly chunky, and contains a slider change that allows you to prolong the size of the prongs, making it appropriate for longer hair.
Shark FlexStyle assessment: efficiency
- Intuitive controls and straightforward to get began with
- Quick total drying speeds
- Efficiency and end differ relying on the attachment
Total, the styler is properly balanced, not too heavy, and comfy to make use of. It is also straightforward to get began with, though mastering every of the attachments can take a bit longer – as we’ll get into in a second.
The settings buttons are positioned on the backside of the barrel, slightly than greater up the place they is perhaps by accident switched whereas gripping the styler. They’re straightforward sufficient to succeed in when you do have to make modifications mid-style, and the actual fact they’re on a flattened part means you’ll be able to find them pretty simply by contact. Nevertheless, they do sit alongside the air vents for the motor, which suggests you’ll be able to block airflow when switching between modes.
To set the styler into right-angled hair dryer mode, you pull down a change on the barrel’s deal with and twist the highest part. On this mode, it is simple to direct the airflow exactly the place it is wanted. It additionally makes it comfy to make use of with the diffuser or diffuser hooked up.
The hair dryer by itself is quick and efficient. It took our fine-haired tester 2 minutes and 47 seconds to go from moist to dry hair, placing it on par with the unique Dyson Supersonic. Her hair was a little bit frizzy and flat when dried on this approach, however no kind of than when drying with different hairdryers.
So as to add attachments, flip and lock them into place after which use the unlock change on the barrel to launch them with ease. The usage of an unlock change could appear pointless, nevertheless it prevents the attachments from twisting and shifting mid-style – a typical criticism of different hair dryers and cheaper multi-stylers we have used previously.
Auto-wrap curl barrels
Most likely the most important promoting level of the FlexStyle is the promise of easy curling with minimal warmth harm utilizing the auto-wrap curlers. To get probably the most out of those attachments, you need to begin by drying hair till it is round 80% dry – you should use the styler in hair dryer mode to care for this. Reaching the optimum degree of moisture within the hair requires a little bit of trial and error – too moist or too dry, and the curls will not maintain.
Mastering the Coanda expertise additionally takes a little bit of time, though as soon as you’ve got obtained it, it is pretty easy. You wish to part off a little bit of hair, change the styler on and place the barrel within the backside third of the hair. You may see the strands begin twisting across the barrel, and shifting the wand backwards and forwards barely will trigger the remainder of it to wrap too. The new air then shapes the curl because it finishes drying the hair. For greatest outcomes, you may have to hit the cool shot button to set the curl earlier than eradicating the wand.
Right here, the matte end on curl barrels provides slight grip on the hair, which one among our thick-haired testers discovered hindered the wrapping course of a little bit, though these with finer, slipperier hair may really discover it helps.
It is not an ideal system. Swapping over the barrels once you wish to change the route of curl is annoying. The air can pull in hair from different sections, or blow it in numerous instructions whilst you’re setting every curl, creating frizz and flyaways. All three of our testers discovered their curls dropped a lot quicker than these created utilizing a conventional tong (though our tester with thick, straight hair discovered that curls on day-old hair had extra endurance than on freshly washed hair).
We are going to emphasize, although, that that is true of all Coanda impact curlers we have tried. You will not find yourself with excellent, long-lasting curls with this technique, however you’ll be able to obtain good physique and waves with minimal warmth harm.
When you decide to pay extra for an Airwrap i.d., you may get the comfort of not having to swap barrels to vary from clockwise to anticlockwise, and there is a change that kicks off a curl cycle (wrap, curl, cool shot) timed to your hair sort, so you will not have to fiddle with altering settings mid-curl. Nevertheless, functionally the wrapping course of and outcomes might be very related.
Brush attachments
When you’re utilizing the oval or paddle brush, you’ll be able to count on drying instances to be a little bit longer, since you’re styling as you dry. These are each pretty intuitive in use, and require far much less of studying curve than the auto-wrap barrels. The big measurement means they’re greatest suited to longer, thicker hair.
To get actual quantity utilizing the oval brush, you’ll have to spend time engaged on the roots, holding your hair straight up (or at proper angles to your head), inserting the comb on the underside of your hair on the base and working it up and thru every strand a number of instances. It’s also possible to maintain the comb on the base whereas it units the amount, earlier than smoothing the remainder of the hair, or rotating it as you progress it by to create flicks or giant curls and waves.
Our fine-haired tester discovered this technique gave her hair respectable quantity to start with, however the model fell flat inside half an hour. The big measurement of the oval brush makes it a lot better suited to lengthy hair than quick.
The paddle brush is used for creating easy types, and to make use of it you merely run it by strands of hair such as you would an everyday hair brush, holding it face-down to easy the cuticles. If you wish to add refined quantity, angle the paddle brush up and below your roots for just a few seconds earlier than every go. On check we discovered this created a easy end, with little or no frizz. Our fine-haired tester was significantly impressed, and famous that she often needed to resort to straighteners to realize such a smooth, straight look.
- Efficiency rating: 3.5 out of 5
Ought to I purchase a Shark FlexStyle?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Ranking |
|---|---|---|
|
Worth |
Premium priced, as anticipated for a multi-styler that makes use of the Coanda impact. Properly-built and respectable worth when you want the flexibility. |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Design |
Properly balanced and straightforward to wield, with all kinds of suitable attachments. |
4 / 5 |
|
Efficiency |
Good and versatile, and comfy to make use of with respectable energy, however efficiency varies by software. Kinds might lack endurance. |
3.5 / 5 |
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
How I examined the Shark Flexstyle
This assessment combines the experiences of three testers, with completely different hair varieties and styling preferences. All used the FlexStyle extensively over not less than a few weeks, attempting out all of the provided attachments. We famous how intuitive and comfy it was to make use of, and the way the outcomes matched as much as different styling instruments we might used. We additionally assessed how briskly it was to model hair, and the way lengthy the outcomes lasted.
Learn extra about how we test
- Re-reviewed March 2025
- First reviewed October 2022