Shark FlexStyle VS Dyson Airwrap In-Depth Review and Comparison | Which one should you get?
For those of you who have been around on my YouTube channel or blog for the last year you know that I have raved endlessly about the Dyson Airwrap. After months and months of back and forth, wondering if it would be worth the heafty price of $600 I decided to pull the trigger and get one for my birthday. Needless to say I have had zero regrets on buying the Dyson airwrap! However, when I saw that Shark also had an airwrap-like hair tool I knew it would be worth comparing. At just a fraction of the price (Shark Flexstyle being $325) it felt wroth comparing the two side by side. I want to give a huge thank you to Shark for sending me the Flexstyle to review for you guys! With absolutely no strings attached other than to try it out - here is my honest review of the Shark Flexstyle and how it compares to the ever so popular Dyson Airwrap! Of course you can shop either the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long or the Shark Flexstyle within this post by clicking any of the photos or links - I do receive a small commission, but know that it doesn’t cost you any more and it helps support me so that I can keep doing these kinds of reviews!
Check out my full YouTube video below for an in depth unboxing comparison to see what comes with both the Dyson Airwrap and Shark FlexStyle
What comes in the box of the Shark FlexStyle? What comes in the box of the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long?
First up let’s start with what comes in the box for the Shark FlexStyle! From my understanding Shark offers multiple sets, some that’s include a case for your FlexStyle (for $325-$350 depending if you can get it on sale) and some without a case ($275-$300 depending on if you can get it on sale). In my case, no pun intended lol, I will be reviewing the Shark FlexStyle Ultimate Travel System in Copper. For the Dyson Airwrap I believe every version comes with a case - which it better cause it’s $600 lol. Soooo with that being said let’s get into the comparison of the two sets and what all comes with the Shark Flexstyle and Dyson Airwrap.
The Shark FlexStyle Travel and Storage Case VS Dyson Airwrap Case
To me this actual travel and storage case for the Shark FlexStyle is worth talking about because in my opinion it feels worth having if you’re going to purchase a $300 styling tool. Remember this styling tool has multiple attachments, so even if you don’t plan on traveling with it I think the case is very nice to keep everything organized and stored, so dust doesn’t build up on it as well. To me the layout of the Shark Flexstyle case is much nicer than the Dyson Airwrap! I feel like the people who designed the Shark FlexStyle Travel Case considered longevity because all of the dividers are made out of a sturdy material, and there is also built in netting along the top section of the case to keep all of your attachments in place. If you’re familiar with the Dyson Airwrap you know that the inside of the case is just one large compartment divided by cardboard dividers… like seriously who let that pass on a $600 hair tool? Also with the Dyson, because it is one large compartment you have to pile the attachments on top of one another, making it a little bit more inconvenient to get to the ones you need when you’re in a rush. I will note that the Dyson Airwrap case is a better and more convenient design if you’re planning on keeping it in a deep drawer or under the sink cabinet because you can easily pop of the lid and get to what you need. Where as you will have to take the Shark FlexStyle case out every time you use it and unzip it/fold it out to lay flat on the counter. Also one small detail to note about the Shark FlexStyle case is that it has a carrying handle on the top and the Dyson Airwrap case is not intended to be carried places :)
So who wins in this category? In my opinion the Shark FlexStyle. Unless you’re planning on keeping the styling tool in a deep drawer… then I would say the Dyson Airwrap case will drive you less crazy lol
Shark FlexStyle body VS Dyson Dyson Airwrap Body
I’m not really sure what to call this part other than the “body” of the styling tool lol. We obviously have the attachments, but what do we call the actual thing they attach to? If you have a better word for it let me know in the comments! At first glance the Shark FlexStyle design is (in my opinion) a lot prettier. It comes in really beautiful, metallic colors like copper, stone, black, a deep teal, pink, and lilac. Each one has a nice metal like finish and the build quality is really nice!! The Dyson Airwrap has more of a plastic feel which could be considered a lower quality build material, but in my opinion I think it helps with the weight of the styling tool. The Shark FlexStyle also has a built in swivel head that turns it into a hair dryer! I think this is the most unique and best function that the Shark Flexstyle has to offer. It’s super convenient and doesn’t require an additional hair drying attachment like the Dyson Airwrap does. I did notice that the Shark Flexstyle is slightly longer than the Dyson Airwrap. Not by much but it’s worth noting. One other thing that I noticed when testing the two back to back is that the Dyson is slightly quieter in my opinion. The Shark FlexStyle felt more powerful, but that came with a higher pitched and louder sound. Something to consider if you’re sensitive to high pitched sounds! I will say though, if you can’t compare them back to back it probably wouldn’t be something you would even notice or care about. It’s only because I got to hear both, that I can say I prefer the sound of the Dyson Airwrap more.
So who wins? This is hard to answer fully without reading on about the buttons…. But for now we will say the Shark FlexStyle - mainly because of the rotating hair dryer head (so brilliant and convenient!)
Shark FlexStyle Attchments VS Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long Attachments:
What styling attachments come with the Shark FlexStyle?
Two 1.25” curling attachments (you need one for curling each direction)
Large Oval Brush - for salon-like blowouts
Paddle Brush - for smoothing out your hair
Curl Defining Diffuser - for curly or wavy hair types
Styling Concentrator - for precise air flow during blow drying
What styling attachments come with the Dyson Airwrap?
Coanda Smoothing Dryer - for blowdrying your hair and for smoothing out flyaways
30mm Airwrap Long Barrel - the smaller curling barrel, curls in both directions!
1.6” curling barrel - for larger curls, curls in both directions!
Soft Smoothing Brush - dries and smooths hair (for finer hair)
Firm Smoothing Brush - dries and smoothes hair (for coarser hair)
Round Volumizing brush - for blowouts but mostly for styling bangs or face framing pieces
Filter Cleaning brush - for cleaning your airwrap filter
Who wins in the curling attachment category?
Easily the Dyson Airwrap and here’s why! With the Dyson Airwrap you get 2 different sizes of curling attachments. Both attachments can curl both ways, and this is very convenient if you’re traveling, but also mega convenient for every day use. With the Shark FlexStyle you have to switch the attachment each time you want to change the direction of the curl. You also only get one size barrel with the Shark Flexstyle. Granted the 1.25” barrel is a great everyday size for lots of hair lengths, but it is nice that with the Airwrap you at least have options. The Dyson Airwrap curling barrels are also slightly longer (with the long version model) which makes them better for medium to long hair. If you have short to medium hair you should be okay with the Shark Flexstyle barrel.
Who wins in the other attachments?
I would say its pretty evenly split down the middle when it comes to the other attachments for the Shark FlexStyle and Dyson Airwrap. I really like the larger oval brush that comes with the shark for blowouts, but I also think the Dyson has a better round brush for bangs and front facing pieces. The paddle brushed on both the FlexStyle and Airwrap are very similar, and the hair diffuser attachment for the shark is only a benefit if you have wavy or curly hair. I will say that I like the Styling Concentrator that comes with the Shark Flexstyle because you can get more direct airflow if you decide to do a blowout the original way with the dryer and a separate round brush, but if you’re buying the Flexstyle you probably wouldn’t do that and would just use the oval brush! One thing to note about all of these attachments for the FlexStyle and the Airwrap is that both do have additional attachments for purchase, so if you feel like your set is missing something you can build it out beyond the kit. Shark does have some really nice bundle options for this where you can purchase the Shark FlexStyle body plus three attachments of your choice, so instead of getting the whole kit with let’s say, the diffuser (being that you have straight hair), you can select 3 attachments that you will find all useful. You can build you’re own Shark FlexStyle bundle here!
Comparison of the power of the airwrap vs the Flexstyle
From first comparison to me if felt like the Shark Flexstyle was more “powerful”, but it could have been that it was just noticeably louder. I do feel like the shark Flexstyle dried my hair just slightly faster than the Dyson Airwrap, but when it came to curls there wasn’t much of a difference at all. One thing to note is my Shark Flexstyle had a burning plastic smell during first use… which if we’re being honest wasn’t a great smell and also made me slightly concerned for me hair lol. I was convinced that the Shark Flexstyle got much hotter than the Dyson Airwrap, but apparently after reading more on the Shark they said that it actually comes in 100 degrees cooler than the Dyson Airwrap at max temp. What I can say is that I am positive that it did not feel anywhere near 100 degrees cooler than my Airwrap, and I’m still convinced it actually got hotter! Regardless with either tool please use a heat protectant. Both styling tools claim no heat damage or minimal heat damage, but it’s always better to use a heat protectant if you’re applying any kind of heat to your hair. Linking a few of my favorites below :)
Comparison of the curls of the Airwrap vs FlexStyle
Okay so how do the curls look? If you watched my YouTube review before we even got into the video I asked you to vote in the comments which side was the Dyson and which side was the Shark. I can genuinely say if you didn’t know that I used two different styling tools you would never be able to tell. They aren’t different enough to know if you’re not filled in. However I did ask my husband to guess which side was the Dyson and which side was the Shark and he got it right! He said that he knew which side was the Dyson Airwrap because the pieces curled around my face looked better, so with that info you be the judge. Now Jason has a trained eye for these kinds of things (lol being married to me), so I wouldn’t worry that someone will actually know if you’re not using the Dyson, I was honestly just really surprised he knew right away!
Comparison of the ease of the Airwrap vs Flexstyle
I want to compare the ease of using the Dyson Airwrap vs the Shark FlexStyle because to me this is where I choose the Dyson 100% over the Shark. The Dyson Airwrap has all of the buttons (on/off toggle, heat setting, fan setting, cool shot) within reach of where you would hold the tool, and the Shark FlexStyle has all of the buttons except for the cool shot button at the bottom of the tool. I never realized how convenient the Dyson Airwrap is to use until I tested it back to back with the Shark FlexStyle. With the Airwrap you can do everything with one hand, making it quick and easy to use. You can really get into a flow with it once you get the hang of it. With the Shark Flexstyle it is nearly impossible to use without both hands because you have to hold the device with one hand and operate the buttons with the other. To me it’s not great placement of the buttons you have to use for every single curl. If you’ve never used the Dyson Airwrap this might not bother you or even occur to you (sort of like the high pitched sound I talked about earlier). However, if you are familiar with the Airwrap it’s something that I noticed right away when using it!
Comparison of which holds curls better
I feel like my Dyson Airwrap curls held shape a little better than my Shark FlexStyle curls, especially around the face! It wasn’t a huge difference, but the Dyson ones did look slightly better at the end of the day.
Pros and Cons of Both the Shark FlexStyle and the Dyson Airwrap
Shark FlexStyle Cons:
Inconvenient button placement
Need two curling attachments (one for each direction)
Limited to one size curling barrel
Case can’t live in drawer
Sounds louder than the Airwrap
Mine had a weird smell at first, but I didn’t notice it after a bit
Shark FlexStyle Pros:
Price
Feels high quality
Travel Case
Similar Curls to Airwrap
Nice Attachments (other than curling attachments)
Swivel head for hair drying
Dyson Airwrap Cons:
Price
Case isn’t great for travel
Doesn’t come with big oval brush attachment
Dyson Airwrap Pros:
Curling barrels work both direction
Two different sizes for curling barrels
Quieter than FlexStyle
Curls look amazing
Case can live in a drawer
Which one to get?
Ahh the question we’ve been waiting for, and have all asked ourselves at this point. So do you get the Dyson Airwrap or the Shark FlexStyle? Here’s the truth… the price difference is too big for me to advise you to get the Dyson over the Shark if you are trying to save the money. I say this having spent the $600 on the Dyson, though I have never had a single regret spending that money on the Airwrap. If you’re looking for a more affordable option the Shark Flexstyle is a pretty dang good option for that Airwrap style, and for literally half of the price it’s a can’t lose! Now I will say that for me I will still be reaching for my Dyson Airwrap over the Shark Flexstyle because of how much quicker I can work with it. The button placement really is just so convenient on the Airwrap and the sound being more pleasant has me still favoring my Dyson. I can confidently say that if you are one of those people (like me) who have always wanted the Dyson Airwrap specifically, it’s worth it. It really is such an incredible hair tool and there’s a reason other brands are now coming out with similar products. It just styles the hair beautifully every single time. So that being said it comes down to if you want to save money or if you want to go for the original! I think of it sort of like handbags, or really anything that we buy. Yes you are paying more for a brand name, but there’s also a reason that they’re the brand other brands are following suit of. It’s because it’s that good and it’s that popular. So I leave you at that - if you’ve had your heart set on the Dyson Airwrap go ahead and get it. You won’t regret it! If you’re looking to save some money and you don’t care that it’s not the Dyson Airwrap get the Shark FlexStyle. You wont regret it!