Our Top Picks

Best smoothing and curling
Dyson airwrap complete Read review
£499
Buy now
Best blow drying
Shark flexstyleRead review
£279
Buy now

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.

How we tested

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.

Dyson airwrap complete

Best: Smoothing and curling

Attachments: Six

Buy now £499, Boots.com

Released earlier this year, there are a few notable improvements to the Dyson airwrap that cement it as a market-leading hair tool. Firstly, there’s the ability to change the air flow with the flick of a switch without having to change the barrels, saving you both time and effort. Secondly (and my favourite), there’s a new coanda smoothing dryer attachment that’s a hero addition for frizz-prone users.

The attachment works to quickly dry hair in preparation for styling while the enhanced air flow helps to smooth flyaway hairs. As well as the drying attachments and improved barrels – there are two different sized versions – there are also two new hair brush attachments, one with softer bristles and one with firmer bristles, which have been created to help straighten hair more easily. The former is designed for thinner hair while the latter is best for thick hair.

Setting it apart from the competition, Dyson’s impressive array of varying brushes cater for all hair types. Plus, the use of air rather than direct heat – dubbed the “coanda effect” – styles with minimal damage. This works by attracting hair to the surface of your chosen attachment, with the tool projecting air along each sectioned strand to smooth, before you set your style with a burst of cold air. This applies to both curling with the barrels and straightening with the smoothing hair brushes.

Though this sounds complex, in practise the tool is a breeze to use. The drying attachment dries my hair quickly and effectively, with reduced frizz (and any remaining is rapidly gone thanks to the smoother). The brush attachments also turn the tool into a hot brush; simply brush through your strands, pulling up and away from the head to straighten, volumise or add a flick at the end.

Though curling is a little more tricky, it’s also where the Dyson airwrap thrives. Depending on your desired volume and curl thickness, choose between the two barrels and touch it to the tip of your sectioned hair strand. The air then automatically wraps your hair around the barrel as you move upwards through your hair. Hold it there for around 10 seconds, finishing with a cold burst of air to help keep the curl’s shape.

Once mastered, the Dyson airwrap is a versatile, easy-to-use tool that helps to streamline your hair styling regime.

Back to top

Shark flexstyle

Best: Blow drying

Attachments: Six

Buy now £279.99, Shark.co.uk

With two barrels (one for each air flow direction), a hot brush-style rounded bristle brush and a flat smoothing brush, Shark’s flexstyle by all appearances rivals Dyson’s for styling versatility. But where the Shark tool really comes into its own is its hair dryer function. By rotating the nozzle, you can snap Shark’s tool into a more traditional looking hair dryer, complete with a curl-defining diffuser and styling concentrator.

These attachments, four heat settings and three airflow options offer a far more powerful blowdry experience than Dyson’s airwrap – and even some fully-fledged hair dryers (my own included). Plus, the diffuser attachment is adjustable for short or longer length hair, just like the larger version in Shark’s hairdryers.

Shark gets extra kudos for the rounded bristle brush attachment, which I found offered more grip and volume compared to the smaller size brush attachment that comes with the new Dyson airwrap. The flat paddle brush attachment, however, had less grip in our hair and caused more frizz than Dyson’s equivalent.

Now, onto the all-important barrels. Shark deploys the same coanda effect as Dyson, meaning curls are created with air in the 1.25 curling barrel rather than heat – helping to reduce heat damage. But unlike with the airwrap, I found my hair needed a little coercing to wrap around the barrel.

There is a cold-burst setting that helps set your curl, but there are two separate barrels for each airflow, meaning you’ll have to switch barrels for each side of your hair. Once I got to grips with the barrels, the curl’s created were just as defined as Dyson’s, but I did find they fell out more quickly.

Back to top

The verdict: Shark flexstyle Vs Dyson airwrap complete

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