OK, so it’s not so much a groundbreaking revelation — who doesn’t like having someone else wash your hair (and a scalp massage!), before walking out of a salon with perfect tresses?

But while I love getting my hair blow dried, it’s not exactly a sustainable practice financially. This is why I’m always on the hunt for the best tool to give me salon-worthy hair at home (with as little effort involved, of course).

Enter the Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System: It’s a multi-styler with a range of attachments to do everything from blow dry, straighten and curl your hair.

It’s gone viral on TikTok where it’s been compared to the Dyson Airwrap, with some reviewers even going so far as to say it’s a “dupe” for the much more expensive hair tool.

But how does the Shark FlexStyle really compare to the Airwrap? We decided to put it to the test to find out.

We also decided to test out the even more affordable Mermade Interchangeable Blow Dry Brush. Coming in at $159, it is around $300 cheaper than the Shark FlexStyle and $800 cheaper than the Dyson. We wanted to see just how different all three could be.

HOW WE TESTED AND REVIEWED THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE

We reviewed the Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System by getting two members of the shopping team to use the hair tool over six weeks. I have fine, straight hair while news.com.au checkout Shopping Writer Philippa Tonkin has thick and curly hair, meaning we were able to test how it worked on different hair types. We also tested how well different attachments worked including the auto-wrap curlers, the oval brush, the curl-defining diffuser, the hair dryer with styling concentrator and the paddle brush. We also sought expert advice from top hairdresser Christopher Hunter, who is Australia’s Shark FlexStyle ambassador.

In this article

• What is the Shark FlexStyle?
• Shark FlexStyle Specs
• How well does the Shark FlexStyle hairdryer work?
• How well does the Shark FlexStyle straighten hair?
• How well does the Shark FlexStyle curl hair?
• How well does it work on different hair types?
• What are the Shark FlexStyle attachments?
• Shark FlexStyle settings and controls
• How does the price of the Shark FlexStyle compare to other hair tools?
• Is the Shark FlexStyle worth it?
• How to use the Shark FlexStyle
• Where to buy the Shark FlexStyle in Australia
• How does the Mermade Interchangeable Blow Dry Brush compare to the Shark FlexStyle?
• Is the Shark FlexStyle as good as the Dyson Airwrap?
• FAQs

WHAT IS THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE?

“The Shark FlexStyle is the coolest new hair styling tool released in years,” Christopher Hunter told news.com.au.

“It seamlessly transforms from a conventional hairdryer to an all in one styling tool featuring auto curlers, straightening brush and a diffuser.”

In short, the Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System is designed to replace all your hair tools with just one, taking your hair from wet to dry and then styled in as little time as possible.

Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System

$499 at Myer

SHARK FLEXSTYLE SPECS

• Colour: Silver, black
• Power: 14000W
• Weight: 700g (hair dryer only with no accessories attached)
• Heat settings: Three airflow settings
• Temperature settings: Low, medium, high heat and cool shot
  Manufactuer’s Warranty: Two years
• Cord length: 2.8m
• What’s in the box: Hair styler/dryer, one Styling Concentrator, one Curl-Defining Diffuser, one Paddle Brush, one Oval Brush, two Auto-Wrap Curlers and storage box

HOW WELL DOES THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE HAIRDRYER WORK?

Hannah: OK, so this is probably my favourite feature of the Shark FlexStyle. The hairdryer is lightweight and easy to hold but is still extremely powerful. It dries my hair in five minutes flat and there’s also a detachable styling concentrator head for better styling.

Philippa: I was seriously impressed with how well the Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System dried my hair. I have very thick and fairly curly hair that I have always struggled to blow dry. My hair holds moisture really well and it normally takes ages for it to properly dry. But the Shark FlexStyle has seriously changed the game.

Using no attachments and simply twisting the tool into the blow dry position, I moved the dryer around my hair to give it a super quick dry before I then went into styling it. It is so powerful, I was genuinely shocked. It dried my hair in literally no time at all, it couldn’t have been more than five minutes.  

HOW WELL DOES THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE STRAIGHTEN HAIR?

Hannah: Full disclosure: My hair isn’t hard to straighten — it’s pretty much its natural state but I love how the Shark FlexStyle gives me that extra sleek look without needing a straightening iron. All I need to do is dry my hair with the hairdryer to 90 per cent dry, then I switch over to the paddle brush attachment. I separate my hair and run sections through the brush until it’s completely dry and voila, smooth straight hair!

Philippa: After my hair was around 80 per cent dry, I twisted the tool back into the upright position and attached the paddle brush attachment to start straightening and smoothing my hair.

I divided my hair into sections by tying most of my hair up the top of my head and only leaving a small section at the bottom to start with. I then got to work by brushing my hair like I would with a normal brush. By using powerful airflow and heat, the paddle brush attachment worked to smooth and straighten my hair at the same time. I then worked through my hair piece by piece and section by section.

The final result definitely had a bit more of a pouf than it would had I used a regular straightener, but this was 100 per cent way easier. And the best part was that it was really easy to quickly fix up over the next few days. All I had to do was run the brush through my hair a few times and I was good to go. For someone, who almost never styles her hair this was a true godsend.

HOW WELL DOES THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE CURL HAIR?

Hannah: While it’s easy to straighten my hair I really struggle to get a decent curl to stay put in my hair. The only thing I’ve found that helps is to coat my hair in mousse. So after towel-drying my hair I applied a generous amount of Oribe’s Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse ($58, OZ Hair & Beauty) from my roots to my tips. After roughly drying my hair to about 80 per cent dry, I switched to the Auto-Wrap Curler attachments.

I separated my hair into sections and got to work twisting pieces around the curlers. The curlers worked similarly to the Dyson Airwrap’s at giving me great curls — the key is to hold in place for about 20-30 seconds before switching to the cool shot which helps the curl stay in place.

I was aiming for a loose, beachy wave look and once I had finished curling most of my hair, I grabbed my curtain bangs at the front and twisted them away from my face around the oval brush attachment. I held it in place for about 30 seconds before switching to the cool shot.

I ran my fingers through each of the curls for a more messy, lived-in look, before finishing with a light spritz of Oribe Superfine Hair Spray ($66, Oz Hair & Beauty) to help them hold. I found the curls lasted about 24 hours which for my hair is pretty good.

Philippa: I curled my hair in two different ways using the Shark FlexStyle. The first way was using the auto-wrap curlers that work to give that bouncy blow-dry look. I also tried the curl-defining diffuser to see how it would work to accentuate my natural curls.

I used the curlers on my already blow-dried hair after the step above. Once again I separated my hair into sections and got started. There are two curlers, one for the left side of the head and one for the right side. I was a bit wary about how difficult it would be to get my hair wrapped around the barrels but was once again happily surprised. I followed the instructions and held a small section of my hair a couple of inches from the end and then let it wrap itself around the barrel. Once this part was wrapped I let go of the strand and lifted the barrel to then wrap around the rest of the strand. After holding it near my scalp for 10 seconds and then pressing down on the cool shot for 10 seconds, I turned off the tool and then let the curl go. Just a fair warning. The curl will be very tight to start with but they do drop so don’t be alarmed. I repeated these steps for the rest of my hair.

Overall, I was really happy with the final result and it took just 50 minutes. Initially, the curls were super bouncy and quite high but I decided to brush them out a little bit for that classic blow-dry wave.

I finished up by popping some Kérastase Elixir Ultime Original Hair Oil ($73, Kérastase) into my hair to add some shine and help tame the frizz. And voila, I was done.

However, my one note would be to make sure your hair is super straight before you start curling. I still had a little bit of frizz left as I thought the barrels would sort that out when curling but alas a little bit of frizz was still there when I was done.

Moving on to the diffuser, to say I was nervous to try this out would be an understatement. I’ve had natural curls for my whole life but have never tried a diffuser and was intrigued to see how they would work with my hair. After watching hundreds of TikTok tutorials, it was time to give it a go.

I popped a curl cream into my wet hair, gave my ends a scrunch and was good to go. While TikTok may be divided about the best way to diffuse I went with what the majority of videos recommended and started off by slowly hovering the diffuser around my hair so that the curls would form a cast. I started at the roots as they take the longest to dry and by drying them first, it works to reduce frizz and helps with the curl definition.

I also tipped my head upside and continued this hovering phase in order to really make sure those roots were dry.

Next, while the diffuser was off I would place a small section of hair in the cone, scrunch it up closer to the scalp and then turn it on. I would hold the tool there for around 20 seconds before turning it off and bringing the hair back down. Turning off between each section helps to ensure your hair stays in position and no rogue airflow gets in the way. I continued this for the rest of my head. I also shifted my head from side to side and continued the motion with my head upside down too.

I finished up by popping some Kérastase Elixir Ultime Original Hair Oil ($73, Kérastase) into my hair to add some shine and help tame the frizz. And voila, I was done.

While I was pretty happy with my final result, it definitely was still a bit frizzy. But for the first attempt, I have high hopes for my future tries. This try only took me 20 minutes. A hair miracle if I ever saw one!

HOW WELL DOES THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE WORK ON DIFFERENT HAIR TYPES?

“The Shark FlexStyle is for any hair type – any skill set – and all ‘hairkind’,” Christopher said.

The Shark FlexStyle is designed to style straight, wavy, curly and coily hair. We tested it on curly/thick and straight/fine hair and found that the different attachments meant it was easy to adapt the FlexStyle for different hair types.

Hannah: The FlexStyle worked incredibly well on my fine, straight hair. I was able to easily blow dry it and get it to a sleek straight style. Curling my hair took more work and I had to use hairspray, but it was still easier than using a curling tong.

Philippa: As someone with thick, pretty frizzy and fairly curly hair, I think it worked really well. I would definitely make sure your hair is straight before attempting the barrels but apart from that I thought it smoothed my hair really well.

I also loved trying out the diffuser and thought it was a great attachment and sets this apart from typical blowdryers that don’t include this attachment. I never would have tried a diffuser otherwise and now it is definitely something I will use again.

WHAT ARE THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE ATTACHMENTS?

• Styling Concentrator
• Curl-Defining Diffuser
• Paddle Brush
• Oval Brush
• Two Auto-Wrap Curlers (one for your left side and one for the right side of your hair)

SHARK FLEXSTYLE SETTINGS AND CONTROLS

The Shark FlexStyle has three temperature settings: low (55C), medium (75C) and high (95C), as well as a cool shot that will be the temperature of the ambient air in which the tool is being used. It also has three heatflow settings.

HOW DOES THE PRICE OF THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE COMPARE TO OTHER HAIR TOOLS?

At $499 the Shark FlexStyle is significantly cheaper than the Dyson Airwrap which retails for $949.

But $499 is still a lot of money to spend, so it’s important to flag that cost is for one hair tool that will replace several hair tools. A good hair dryer will cost upwards of $150, while a hair straightener and curling iron will cost at least $200 a pop.

When you consider that (and the convenience of having an all-in-one tool) the Shark FlexStyle is good value for money.

However, it still is more expensive than the Mermade Interchangeable Blow Dry Brush that comes in at $159.

When it comes to other multi-styling hair tools, there are more affordable options like the Silver Bullet Multistyler ($349.95, My Haircare & Beauty) or the VS Sassoon Air Style Brilliance ($169.95, Myer). However neither tools have managed to generate the same hype from shoppers as the Airwrap or Shark FlexStyle.

IS THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE WORTH IT?

Hannah: Absolutely, especially if you want an all-in-one hair styling tool that gives you a variety of hair styles with little to no effort. It’s a great alternative to the Dyson Airwrap.

Philippa: In my opinion, it is 100 per cent worth it. Combining every hair styling device, I can confidently say that the Shark FlexStyle is the best hair tool on the market right now.

Yes, $499 is expensive but when you consider that an average blow-dry at a salon costs around $75 (if you’re lucky), you only need to use the tool six or seven times to make it worth your while.

WHERE TO BUY THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE IN AUSTRALIA

You can buy the Shark FlexStyle at Myer, The Good Guys, Bing Lee and Harvey Norman.

HOW TO USE THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE

First, wash your hair and towel dry. Then using just the hair dryer base dry your hair until it is about 80 to 90 per cent dry, aka it looks dry but is still damp to the touch.

Then, style as you please — use the paddle brush to straighten hair, the oval brush for a classic blowout or the auto-wrap curlers for big waves. Users with wavy, curly or coily hair can also use the diffuser attachment.

HOW DOES THE MERMADE INTERCHANGEABLE BLOW DRY BRUSH COMPARE TO THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE?

Philippa: I am a big fan of the Shark FlexStyle so when I was given the opportunity to trial the Mermade Interchangeable Blow Dry Brush, I jumped at the chance to compare it to my new favourite.

First up, unlike the Shark FlexStyle that has five attachments, the Interchangeable Blow Dry Brush has only three; a dryer attachment, a volume head oval attachment and a curling head round curling barrel.

Similarly to the Shark FlexStyle, the Mermade has three heat settings. However, unlike the Shark FlexStyle, there was no option to change the airflow force.

To give it a fair trial, I washed and prepped my hair exactly the same way as I did with the Shark FlexStyle. And then I was ready to get to work.

Just like with the Shark FlexStyle, I first blow dried my hair with the dryer attachment until my hair was around 80 per cent dry. To do this, I simply waved the tool around my hair while shaking my hair to get the under sections.

I was pleasantly surprised by the strength of the air force from the blow dry function. It might not have been quite as strong as the Shark FlexStyle but it was pretty close. I changed between the three heat functions but ended up leaving it on high heat to really make sure my hair was thoroughly dried before I started styling.

Once this was done, I was ready to get started.

Since I have fairly thick hair, I divided it up by leaving only a small amount on the bottom and the rest clipped on top of my head.

PSA: when swapping the heads make sure that you’ve securely locked in place the new one. I hadn’t locked the oval attachment and ended up with my very own Mia Thermopolis from the Princess Diaries moment. Yes, the scene with the broken brush stuck in the hair. That was me. Luckily, unlike Paulo in the movie, I could put it back together and this time securely locked it in place.

Like I do with any hair tool, I found the bottom layer super easy to do and, just quietly, was fairly impressed with how well my curls were turning out when using the volume head oval attachment.

However, when I went to do the next layer I did encounter a few more challenges. Full disclosure this was my first time using the brush and like with anything, you do get better over time, but I simply couldn’t manage to wrap my hair around the barrel without disrupting the curls I had already done.

It was at this point that I decided to change tack. I realised I wouldn’t be able to achieve that bouncy, soft curl blowout look and decided just to work it through my hair like a straightening brush. I found this so much easier and more manageable for my thick hair.

At the end I tried to go through with the smaller curling head barrel but my hair was not co-operating and so I just decided to leave it as that classic blow-dried look.

The final product was probably not quite perfect but for a first attempt, I was fairly happy with the end result. First of all, it took just under thirty minutes which is a miracle in itself. In comparison, when using the Shark FlexStyle it took me over an hour.

To be perfectly honest, if we’re talking about first attempts I think the Shark FlexStyle was probably easier and I was happier with the curling results due to the curling barrels. But it is also over $300 more expensive and took way more time and as we all know time is money.

So for my final verdict?

If you’re looking for a tool that does everything and you’ve got money to spend, then I would go with the Shark FlexStyle. In particular, if you have thick hair like me and after something to create easy curls, the Shark FlexStyle would be my pick. It also includes the diffuser attachment if that is something you care about it.

But, in saying that, if spending $499, isn’t in your budget the Mermade Interchangeable Blow Dry Brush is a pretty solid second choice. And with more practice, I think creating some soft waves is definitely not out of the picture for me. Plus, if you have thin, straight or just simply easy-to-style hair then I might even argue that this could tip the scales completely towards the Mermade as the pick for you.

IS THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE AS GOOD AS THE DYSON AIRWRAP?

Hannah: Honestly, I believe the Shark FlexStyle is as good as, if not better, than an Airwrap when you consider its much cheaper price. I trialled the Dyson Airwrap for six weeks in 2022 and I was impressed by how good the hair tool was at styling my hair. However, I found that some of the styles I tried didn’t last as well in my fine hair.

At $949, the Airwrap is also an expensive investment and I think the Shark FlexStyle is better value. Not only is it $450 cheaper, the real clincher for me is that the Shark FlexStyle’s hair dryer is really, really good — probably the best hairdryer I’ve ever used. In comparison the Airwrap’s hair drying attachment isn’t as powerful and wouldn’t be able to replace a hairdryer.

I also liked the brushes — I found the bristles ‘gripped’ my hair better for easier styling.

Christopher agrees, saying: “In my mind the Shark FlexStyle wins every time.

“The styling concentrator makes all hair types super easy to blow-dry and style. This attachment does not come with the Airwrap.”

“The Shark’s price point is way more affordable too.”

However, the Shark FlexStyle doesn’t have as many attachments as the Airwrap. The Dyson tool comes with six attachments: the coanda smoothing attachment, the 30mm Airwrap barrel, the 40mm Airwrap barrel, a soft smoothing brush, a firm smoothing brush and the round volumising brush.

The Airwrap also comes with the option to buy additional attachments like a 20mm Airwrap barrel and a wide tooth comb.

In contrast the FlexStyle only comes with five different attachments with no current options to buy more.

IS USING THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE HEALTHY FOR HAIR?

According to Christopher, the Shark FlexStyle is healthy for hair because it doesn’t just use one type of heat to style hair.

“The Shark FlexStyle prevents heat damage by using a combination of air and heat as opposed to old school tongs and straighteners which only use a heat element causing damage on your hair,” he said.

DOES THE SHARK FLEXSTYLE CAUSE HEAT DAMAGE?

Hannah: I’ve been using my Shark FlexStyle at least twice a week for six weeks now and can safely say my hair hasn’t been heat damaged. Having said that I’ve only used it on the second highest heat option (on the advice of my hairdresser) and I always spray a heat protectant on my hair before using heat — I like the ghd Bodyguard Heat Protectant Spray ($38, Sephora).

Philippa: The Shark FlexStyle is designed to be fast drying but with no heat damage. The tool measures and regulates temperatures 1000 times per second so you can be sure your hair is well looked after. And if you are worried, I would recommend using a heat protectant spray like Moroccanoil Perfect Defense ($75, Sephora) or JVN Complete Blowout Styling Milk ($44, Sephora).

More best hair tools coverage

Best hair straightener brushes

Best hair curlers

ghd Duet Style review

Dyson Airwrap review

Christopher Hunter

Christopher Hunter is the founder and owner of Sydney hair salon, Willomina. Growing up in country Victoria, Chris knew from a young age that he would work in a creative field, and once he moved to Melbourne at aged 18 he secured a hair apprenticeship and the rest is history. Chris is a regular on the editorial and fashion events circuits, both in Australia and abroad. He is currently working with Shark Beauty to launch the Shark FlexStyle Air Drying Styling System. Chris and his team recently worked with international hair stylist Glen Coco to create Australia’s first Hair Runway which featured 25 diverse looks.

Be sure to check out news.com.au’s coupons page for discounts on all your favourite brands and sign up to our free shopping newsletter for all the latest sale and product news.

More related stories

Hair Tools

Cheaper Dyson rival ‘worth the money’

The beloved Dyson Airstrait straightener has finally arrived in Australia. But does it live up to the hype?

Read more

Hair Tools

ghd’s new product blows Dyson out of water

A leading tech brand has released a new high-tech and time-saving tool that could end Dyson’s reign.

Read more

Hair Tools

‘Gamechanger’: Top blow dry brushes for perfect hair

Say goodbye to the traditional blow drier with this easy-to-use alternative sparking a frenzy online.

Read more

Hair Tools

‘Mind-blowing’ new feature of cult Dyson hair dryer

Set to “blow your socks off”, we’ve broken down what you need to know about Dyson’s new hair dryer — and whether it’s worth upgrading to.

Read more