Shark is jumping into the hairstyling game with its first beauty product called the FlexStyle. The US company, known for vacuums such as the Stratos Upright Vacuum Cleaner, has reworked its airflow technology to offer an affordable multi-styler as a direct competitor to the Dyson Airwrap.
Initially launched in the US back in August 2022, the Shark FlexStyle has been slowly making its way around the globe. Now finally available Down Under, Aussies have been able to preorder the multi-styler since April 2023, though its official launch date wasn’t until late June 2023, where it kicked off with a ‘hair runway’ in Sydney, styled by celebrity hairstylist Glen Coco on June 21.
Like the Dyson Airwrap, the Shark FlexStyle uses airflow technology to reduce the amount of heat being applied to hair while styling. There’s four different heat options and three airflow settings, as well a Cool Shot button that can help lock styles into place with a quick blast of cold air.
Versatile and very easy to use, the shark FlexStyle takes a few notes from the Dyson Airwrap, but with some unique twists, including a literal one. This multi-styler can be turned into a more traditional hair dryer simply by twisting the top portion of the device. It then locks into place to be used with or without one of the included attachments.
There are six attachments in total that come with the Shark FlexStyle, and while in Hair Dryer Mode, you can add on a diffuser to define natural curls or add the Styling Concentrator attachment to dry your hair with a sleek finish.
- Compare Shark FlexStyle prices on Getprice
When twisting the FlexStyle back into Styling Wand Mode, there’s the option to attach one of two 15cm Auto-Wrap Curlers, an oval brush or a paddle brush. The oval brush has been designed to create volume with towel-dried hair, while the paddle brush can help to create a straight and smooth style without the need to wait for your hair to fully dry.
The two Auto-Wrap Curlers are identical except that they work in opposite directions so you can get neat curls rotating away from either side of your face. Dyson’s 2018 Airwrap curling barrels worked in the same fashion, but the latest iteration from Dyson has had the curling barrels re-engineered so you can swap the direction of airflow on the same attachment instead of switching it out for a separate one.
There’s also only one option when it comes to buying the Shark FlexStyle, and it’s bundled with the main device, all the mentioned attachments, a convenient carrying case as well as a quick styling guide that will walk you through how to use each attachment. The Dyson Airwrap, however, offers a number of colours, short and long hair options, and customisable bundles for specific attachments.
Dyson's Airwrap might have the Shark FlexStyle beat when it comes to colourways and customisation options, but the latter is far more affordable. The Airwrap retails anywhere between AU$854 and AU$949, depending on the colour scheme and included attachments. Coming in at an RRP of $499, the Shark FlexStyle is at the very least $350 cheaper than the basic option from its British competitor. The Shark FlexStyle is available from several major retailers, including directly from Shark Clean, Amazon, JB Hi-Fi, Myer, The Good Guys and Bing Lee.
