For the last four years since its 2018 launch, the Dyson Airwrap has been at the top of every beauty buff's Christmas list. But that’s all about to change.
The beauty tool might have completely revolutionised the way people style their hair, with its unique Coanda airflow technology, creating salon-fresh hair at home - but 2022 is the year of the dupe, and so many brands have had a go at putting similar products on the market, for less.
The Dyson Airwrap comes in at an eye watering £499.99, but now, rival Shark have brought out their own hair styling tool that’s giving the Dyson a run for its money.
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The Shark FlexStyle Air Styler comes in at £299.99 , complete with five attachments to dry, smoothe, style and curl with ‘no heat damage’.
The device was launched in October, and acts as a versatile multi-styling tool that’s seen some shoppers sell their Dysons .
Reviewing the FlexStyle on the Shark website, Shelley said: “I bought this Air Styler to compare with my Dyson Air wrap. I have since sold my Dyson, as I much prefer the Shark.
“I find the large brushes are better for me to blow dry and style. The Air Wrap barrels work great and I especially like the function to twist it back to a hairdryer when needed.”
Chloe added: “I have really long and thick hair and this dries it really easily. I love using the brush to straighten my hair as it’s so much less damaging than straighteners and I also think the curler is amazing. I use pin clips to keep them in place then I spray with hairspray. I love it. Definitely the same as the Dyson but miles better value for money.”
Charlie also says the Shark styler is great value after convincing her partner to give her the Christmas gift early. She said: “I'd been wanting the Dyson forever but couldn't bring myself to pay almost £500! When I saw this cheaper alternative receiving such good reviews, I had to try it.
“I have long thick hair so drying my hair usually takes ages but with the Shark it is dry in less than 5 minutes! I love the straightening brush tool, it leaves my hair lovely and straight… All in all I think this is a great hair styling tool and I would 100% pick this over the more expensive alternative.”
There’s only one way to see if a device is really as good as everyone says it is - so I’ve tried it out for myself to see how easy it is to use, and if it’s worth nearly £300 of your hard earned cash.
Inside the stylish storage case, you’ll find the FlexStyle device , as well as a paddle brush, oval brush, styling concentrator, curl-defining diffuser and two curling barrels - one left and one right. It also comes with a handy style guide to offer tips and tricks to getting those curls to hold.
With freshly washed, wet hair, I set up the device using the styling concentrator, rotating the handle to a 90 degree angle like a traditional hair dryer, and began using the hair tool to dry and smooth my hair. The rotating nozzle is really handy for styling at all angles, and I was surprised at how lightweight this piece of kit is.
Don’t be fooled by its weight, though, this nifty, compact device doesn’t compromise on power, drying my hair by 80 to 90 per cent in under three minutes.
Drying my hair is my least favourite beauty chore, and the length of time it takes to dry often puts me off washing it in the mornings, but now I’ll be able to switch up my routine and wash my hair whenever I fancy, without worrying about how long it will take to style. You can also use the FlexStyle with no attachments at all for a rough dry.
The FlexStyle offers three heat and airflow settings, which can be changed with the buttons on the handle of the device. The Shark gadget measures its airflow continuously to ensure consistent temperature to avoid heat damage, which is really important for me, as I have some bleached sections.
After this I used the paddle brush which can actually replace your straighteners, smoothing and straightening the hair by creating tension with boar and nylon bristles. I’d have been happy with the device just to offer these two drying and straightening features, but of course, everyone wants the ability to curl their hair with the least amount of effort, which is what these air styling devices promise.
Like the Dyson , the Shark styler uses Coanda Technology that wraps, curls and sets automatically. It takes a time or two to get the knack for this, holding your hair the perfect distance from your face, and the device the optimum distance from your hair.
It’s exciting to watch your hair wrap around the barrel - it’s like watching a magic trick - keeping hold of the curl for 10 seconds on ‘hot’, setting it with 10 seconds of cool shot.
Taking just 20 seconds per curl, it’s a pretty speedy process, and you can get away with some fairly chunky sections - you’ll soon work out what the barrel can withstand. The two curling attachments also mean you can curl your hair in both directions for a flattering, salon-finished look.
Immediately after finishing my hair, my locks looked soft, shiny, and bouncy. I was really pleased with the finished results, particularly the parts framing my face. I have been having some trouble getting the curls to hold, which other shoppers have also reported.
Charlie, froquoted m earlier, added: “My curls don't stay on their own. I haven't tried pinning them nor have I tried using any product on my hair so this might do the trick! However, even when the curls drop out, it still leaves my hair looking great, like I've had a good blowout.”
I’d say this is an accurate review and mimics my experience with the Shark device. I’m definitely going to have to play around with some styling products, hair sprays and techniques to find a way for my hair to stay super curly. But like Charlie, I really like the blow-out look, and can achieve a really fun 60s flicked in style with this tool, too.
Powerful, fast and versatile, I’ve definitely been impressed with the Shark FlexStyle Air Styler in the first instance. I still think the price is quite expensive, but it is cheaper than the nearly £500 Dyson and is in line with other products that they sell. Their FlexStyle hairdryer has been reduced by £20 in an early Black Friday sale , so maybe we’ll see some money slashed off the air styler in the coming weeks.
As a hair dryer and straightener, I can’t fault it one bit. I’m looking forward to experimenting with curls to achieve fuss-free, bouncy hair, as it’s clearly an art I’m yet to master, but I hope to get there soon.
You can find the Shark FlexStyle Air Styler on the Shark website, as well as Argos , Boots and Currys .
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