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There’s a more than £200 price difference between the two market-leading hair tools
Arriving on the beauty scene in 2018, few products have caused as much of a stir as the Dyson airwrap. Revolutionising the hair styling handbook, the multi-functional hair tool rapidly reached cult status owing to its ability to blow-dry and style hair simultaneously, producing a salon-quality look at home.
Released in early 2021, the second iteration of the airwrap had a lot to live up to. Boasting improved attachments and a faster air flow, the new and revamped multi styler unsurprisingly secured the same beauty critic-acclaim as its predecessor.
But, with its aspirational (read: eye-watering) near-£500 price tag, Dyson’s creation is certainly not cheap. Luckily, myriad brands have populated the beauty market with more pocket-friendly, airwrap-inspired tools that are responsible for that TikTok-viral bouncy blow dry look. From Revlon’s £39 hot brush to Bellissima’s under £100 air wonder or BaByliss’s rotating tool, it is officially the era of the hot styler – and Shark is one of the latest brands to add to the growing roster.
While Shark is best known for its viral vacuums, the brand has followed in Dyson’s footsteps and launched its own multi-styler hot brush, complete with six attachments and an in-built hair dryer. While Dyson’s tool costs £499, Shark’s styler is more than £200 cheaper at £279.
Offering similar versatility to Dyson’s tool (which also has six attachments), it promises five different hair styles, including straight, wavy or curly. The similarities don’t end here, with both tools using an airflow design that reduces damage, as well as coanda technology that wraps hair around the barrels.
I’ve been using the Dyson airwrap for a couple of months now – and it’s become a much-loved essential in my hair routine (it’s no exaggeration to say I’m obsessed). So, with TikTok users lauding Shark’s flexstyle as not only just as good, but possibly even better than the airwrap, I got my hands on the tool to compare its ease-of-use and the finished product.
Did Dyson’s airwrap continue to reign supreme or did Shark’s cheaper model pique it to the top spot? To find out, I considered how slick my hair looked when styled straight, both the tool’s versatility and how long waves stayed in my hair when curly. Here’s the verdict.
When it comes down to drying alone, Shark’s flexstyle is a clear winner, thanks to its ability to turn into a powerful, fast-drying and fully-functioning hairdryer, complete with a style concentrator and diffuser. The function is not only more effective than your average hair dryer, but far better than Dyson’s drying attachment. However, Dyson’s smoothing element to its drying nozzle is a hero attachment for those with frizz-prone hair (but perhaps not enough to justify its £200-dearer price tag).
Being someone who mostly styles their hair straight, I benefited more from Dyson’s smoothing brushes than Shark’s attachments. The airwrap left our hair sleeker and more frizz-free – plus, Dyson’s tool comes with two separate brushes, one for finer hair and one for thicker. It was a similar story with the barrels, where I found Shark’s attachments slightly harder to get to grips with while hair attached to Dyson’s barrels with more ease.
However, these gripes on Shark’s tool are minor when considering the more than £200 price difference. Offering similar versatility to Dyson’s, Shark’s flexstyle also benefits from its powerful hair dryer. Though overall offering a more refined hair styling experience, if you’re unwilling to fork out the money for Dyson’s airwrap, Shark is perhaps the best airwrap dupe you can buy.
Looking for more hair reccomendations? From shampoos to straightners, our tried and tested reviews have you covered