Before making any big beauty purchase, most of us instinctively do some research before hitting "check out". And in the hair dryer space, the decision between the Shark vs Dyson hair dryer, two market leaders, is a popular one. There have been two new iterations of the Dyson Supersonic since it first launched in 2016, while the SpeedStyle Pro, launched in 2023, was Shark's second hair dryer release. But which one is the best investment for you? That's what this detailed guide aims to help you answer.
These two brands have historically been most associated with quality vacuum cleaners. But their pivot to haircare has resulted in some of the best hair dryers and, as such, they're synonymous with hairstyling. The woman&home team continually tests the latest hair tech innovations and, while both dryers have been on the market for a few years, we still get asked if Dyson's is worth the extra money or if Shark's lives up to the hype. Having reviewed the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer and Shark Hair Dryer, we're very familiar with both tools.
Both options deliver excellent results, but which one is best? Using our years of experience, two woman&home beauty team members plus one of our expert contributors have compared them in this thorough guide. Once you're done here, we've also assessed these brand's multi-stylers in a head-to-head in our Shark FlexStyle vs Dyson Airwrap guide. Plus, as we get closer to Black Friday, there are some decent Dyson hair dryer deals and Shark deals to be found, meaning you can save on either tool.
Current Shark and Dyson hair dryer deals
The Shark Hair Dryer vs Dyson Supersonic: a full comparison by our beauty team
At a glance: the Shark Hair Dryer vs Dyson Supersonic
Attachments: Concentrator nozzle, brush, smoothing finishing tool (5-in-1 also includes diffuser and round brush)
Features: Scalp shield mode
Review: Though it's not quite as high tech as the Dyson, the Shark Style SpeedStyle Pro is still a lightweight tool with versatile attachments – and comes in considerably cheaper.
With a modern, functional design and a powerful motor, the SpeedStyle Pro is a solid investment. It dries hair quickly and efficiently, smoothing and sealing the cuticles, thanks to ionising technology.
Using it left our hair smooth and soft, while the attachments allowed us to personalise the hair drying experience and change up styles slightly, all while significantly reducing heat damage.
Reasons to buy: Smaller price tag, lightweight yet powerful, good variety of attachments,
Attachments: Wide tooth comb, gentle air attachment, flyaway attachment, styling concentrator, diffuser
Features: 3 speed settings, 4 heat settings, cold shot
Review: The Dyson Supersonic both looks and acts the part. Its jet-like motor efficiently dries hair, cutting our drying time in half while smoothing strands with negative ions. It can also create a variety of looks – from smooth styles using the super concentrator to defined natural curls with the diffuser.
Compared to its competitors, this sleek device is one of the quietest and lightest we’ve tried – impressive, considering its mighty power. While it's more of an investment, you do get a wider range of attachments when you opt for the Dyson.
Reasons to buy: You're looking for flexible styling power and don't mind investing a bit more money
How we tested the Shark Hair Dryer vs Dyson Supersonic
In terms of testing and comparing these two tools for this feature, between us team woman&home has years of experience using both hair dryers. Digital Beauty Editor Aleesha owns the Dyson Supersonic, while Beauty Channel Editor Fiona McKim has also thoroughly tested the Dyson Supersonic. Group Beauty Director Sarah Cooper-White has used both this and the Shark SpeedStyle Pro.
(For the avoidance of doubt, it's the original Supersonic, not the newer Dyson Nural Hair Dryer or r models, both of which launched in 2024, that we're comparing with the Shark SpeedStyle Pro here.)
How do the specifications of the Dyson Supersonic and Shark SpeedStyle Pro compare?
Shark SpeedStyle Pro |
Dyson Supersonic |
|
|---|---|---|
RRP |
£179.99 |
£329.99 |
Weight |
660g |
680g |
Power |
1750W |
1600W |
Speed settings |
3 |
3 |
Heat settings |
3 |
4 |
Cord length |
2.4m |
2.5m |
Warranty |
2 years |
2 years |
Available colors |
Black and rose gold |
Iron and fuschia, black and nickel |
Extras |
2 intelligent attachments |
5 styling attachments included |
Shark Hair Dryer vs Dyson Supersonic design
The first thing we noticed when comparing the designs of the Shark Hair Dryer vs Dyson at a glance, are the attachment ranges. Both brands offer a range of hair dryer attachments, with different bundles available to cater to different hair types and styling preferences. The original Supersonic bundle comes with five, while the Shark bundles range from three to five.
The dryer designs look quite different – while the Supersonic is a round, hollow design, the SpeedStyle Pro is sleeker and more slimline. Both dryers also have three heat and airflow settings (low, medium, and high), which allowed for customising drying to our hair types and desired at-home blow dry looks. One thing that separates the Shark SpeedStyle, though, is its foldable design, which really impressed Group Beauty Director Sarah Cooper-White. “I really liked the nozzle, as it's narrow enough to direct airflow to smooth my fine, frizz prone hair, and also loved how it folds up into a neat little size, which is really great if you want to put it in your gym bag or take it on a night away," she says of its design.
Other than that, there is barely anything in the weight of the Dyson and Shark dryers – it literally comes down to 20g – and both tools are far lighter than many traditional hair dryers, making them easy to hold and manoeuvre. Three speed settings and three heat settings, changeable on the main handle, also make both tools super versatile in that regard.
Attachments and styling
Shark SpeedStyle Pro attachments and styling
The Shark SpeedStyle Pro 3-in-1 Hair Dryer for Straight and Wavy Hair comes with three attachments – a concentrator, a de-frizzing attachment and a smooth brush. The five attachment bundle also comes with the addition of a diffuser and round brush head, making it the better option for curly hair types – but even then, at £220, this bigger bundle is still cheaper than a Dyson Supersonic for nearly the same number of attachments. Like the STYLE iQ before it, the SpeedStyle's attachments are also intelligent, meaning the dryer automatically adjusts its heat and speed settings when you secure one on – taking out some of the guesswork if you aren't sure on the best settings.
Dyson Supersonic attachments and styling
Ergonomic and compact, we find the Dyson Supersonic a joy to use. It's comfortable to hold and the magnetic styling attachments can create an array of hairstyles and finishes. There’s a concentrator, a smoothing nozzle, a diffuser, a wide-tooth comb, a flyaway attachment and a gentle air attachment, for increased scalp care. Each one snaps on magnetically and is easy to remove – sometimes a little too easily when they knock off by accident, but we'll take it for less faff overall.
The diffuser, in particular, is real draw and is widely-regarded as one of the best tools by industry experts and hairstylists alike. Our contributing beauty editor Lucy Abbersteen has tried most of the diffusers on the UK market, but the Supersonic's is the one she chooses to use over everything else. "It has such gentle airflow and doesn't generate excess frizz in my hair," she says. "My curls are always well-defined and I know several hairdressers who deem this pairing the best for curly hair."
The diffuser can also be used to encourage a bit of a wave into straighter hair. ''For fine or straight hair types where a natural curl pattern isn’t present, I recommend bending one-to-two-inch sections back and forth into an accordion pattern and placing them into the diffuser,” Dyson Styling Ambassador Jen Atkin recommends.
Shark vs Dyson hair dryer: Performance
Shark SpeedStyle Pro technical performance
The Shark SpeedStyle Pro works quickly and dried our hair in a matter of minutes. As for results, while it packed in serious punch for a quick blow drying session, our hair was left looking visibly sleek with a polished finish. The Shark is a dryer that packs in ionic technology, meaning it emits negative ions to counter the positive ones in water. Heat is evenly distributed as a result, closing the hairs’ cuticle and removing moisture for a smoother look. It's therefore an excellent choice for anyone with frizzy hair or a curly hairstyle who likes to blow-dry it smooth.
Dyson Supersonic technical performance
Super by name, super by nature. The motor in the Dyson Supersonic is six times faster than the average hair dryer's. This high speed produces a stream of controlled air that dries strands noticeably fast without reliance on extreme heat, which is damaging to hair. We're sure anyone with a long hairstyle who usually spends ages blow-drying it will appreciate this.
Using this techy tool, to us it didn't feel as powerful as some other high-tech dryers, like the ghd Helios, for example. Instead, we got a steady stream of air delivered at a targeted angle that smoothed the cuticle without much noise (or heat). As well as reducing the overall drying time, this is one of the quietest hair dryers we've tried and our hair always looks and feels healthy after using it.
Shark Hair Dryer vs Dyson Supersonic: the woman&home verdict
OK, crunch time. In our opinion, compared to most traditional tools, the Dyson Supersonic and Shark SpeedStyle Pro hair dryers are both a cut above the rest. We're talking salon-worthy blow-dries with clever ionised technology that eliminates frizz and bolsters shine – all while cutting down drying time thanks to their powerful motors.
While the engineering that goes into the Dyson Supersonic gives it the technological edge, both of these dryers have their merits. The Shark SpeedStyle Pro packs a higher wattage than the Supersonic, so it's a good choice if powerful air for fast drying that doesn't compromise the finish of your hair is your biggest priority. It also has one edge over the original Supersonic with its intelligent attachments – Dyson's answer to this only comes with the newer Nural model. These traits have helped it win over our beauty director, so it's clearly excellent.
But we are also enamoured with the Supersonic's sleek, lightweight design and it has more attachments that are designed for a wider variety of hair types (five, versus Shark’s three). Plus, we have to give credit where credit is due; this dryer launched first and was truly groundbreaking innovation at the time. However, it is the significantly more expensive option.
So, if you have and can afford to spend the extra money, we’d recommend opting for Dyson, but if you’re looking for a more affordable model that still packs a significant punch for its styling prowess, we don't think the Shark SpeedStyle Pro Dryer will disappoint. Its easy handling and sleek design make it a brilliant tool, too.
