So, How’s It Really? We Put The Shark FlexStyle To The Test

Whether you’re an aficionado when it comes to styling your hair or you consider yourself something of a novice, it’s likely that if you’ve accessed social media recently, you’ve spotted the Shark FlexStyle Air Styler & Hair Dryer.

The Shark FlexStyle only burst onto the scene in October 2022 but its reputation precedes itself, mainly because it is one of a few hair tools to assume truly viral status on TikTok. The phrase 'Shark FlexStyle' has an enormous 253.8 million views and counting, with influencers, beauty obsessives and hair experts alike extolling its virtues — and that’s because there isn’t much it can’t do. 

Gone are the days of fiddly tools and potentially burnt fingers. Thanks to the FlexStyle's various handy attachments, there are five easy ways to style your hair, whether you want to curl, straighten, smooth, volumise or add definition. Take the paddle brush, for instance. The combination of boar and plastic bristles creates just the right amount of tension (gentle, of course) to straighten hair while drying it, with no heat damage. 

Then there’s the oval brush for mega volume, the styling concentrator for a salon-worthy blow-dry, an expandable diffuser to maximise natural curls, and what it seems TikTokers love the most: two auto-wrap curlers. These clever attachments take the chore out of styling by enlisting air power to lift your hair and wrap it around the barrel. Simply twist and click your chosen attachment into place. 

Perhaps we have our obsession with all things retro to thank for the recent buzz around FlexStyle. Ask any stylist which hair trends will reign supreme into spring and they’re bound to pinpoint something reminiscent of the glamorous ‘70s. Think: voluminous curtain bangs and large waves with a mind of their own. If that’s not your thing, let the C-shape haircut transport you back to the ‘90s instead. This style consists of layered sections of hair (cut in obvious C-shapes) that hug the face to enhance thickness. With an easy tool like FlexStyle, which allows you to blow-dry, wave or curl, nailing a cut like this is pretty easy. 

Judging by the hundreds of videos flooding the internet, the Shark FlexStyle is an absolute breeze to use but, at £299.99, it’s certainly an investment. Happily, Shark champions diversity and so it was important that the tool works on all hair types, textures and lengths. 

Having recently got the boyfriend bob (short, sharp and a little bit floppy), I’ve struggled to achieve a sleek finish from root to tip with most of the hair tools I have at home. They’re just a little too chunky for the little amount of hair I’m rocking. Could FlexStyle, with its multiple attachments, be the answer to my hairstyling troubles? In other words, how’s it really?

My first impressions were positive thanks to the chic travel case (the FlexStyle is available in black/rose gold or stone) but I was surprised by how the actual tool feels. I expected it to be much heavier! Shark recommends rough-drying your hair with the FlexStyle to 80-90% before using the styling tools. A must, in my opinion, to achieve a style that sticks around all day. That’s when I realised something brilliant. Flicking the switch on the side of the FlexStyle allows you to swivel the top half of the tool so that it becomes a compact hairdryer. Surprisingly quieter than I had anticipated, it's powerful and dried my hair in just under six minutes (no mean feat, considering it’s thick). Unlike other tools I’ve tried, it doesn’t blast you with a painful stream of air. The flow is much more concentrated so my sensitive ears were very happy.

Next up, I made a beeline for the paddle brush, which gave a satisfying click as I twisted it into the base. If you’re using this attachment (or any other one), I’d suggest sectioning your hair to ensure you don’t miss any strands. It took two or three passes to smooth each section of hair. What I love about this brush is that it didn’t flick my hair outwards, like a cartoon character, or under to resemble a bowl. Though my hair is short, there’s a lot of it, but I managed to straighten it all without a serious arm ache. I timed just under 15 minutes. My hair was so nice and smooth, I didn’t feel like I needed the cool shot (but it’s there if you need it to set your style) or any more styling product for that matter.

I later discovered that the tool measures heat 1,000 times per second, which means you get a more consistent air temperature, and waves and curls are more uniform. Thanks to the powerful 1400w drying speed, I didn’t need to do too many passes over one piece of hair to make it sleek. What’s more, FlexStyle promises no heat damage. As someone who is very prone to split ends and parched lengths and often forgets to use heat protection (oops), this is a relief. 

The waving tool took a little longer to get the hang of as you have to bring the wand behind the section of hair (leaving the ends free) so that the air wraps the hair around the tool automatically. But it sure takes the chore out of styling. There’s no need to manually curl the hair around the waver because the air flow does it for you. Ten to 15 seconds was enough to create a wave in my hair and the cool shot ensures it lasts longer.

How does the FlexStyle fare on other hair types? Full-time influencer Sophie Bradbury-Cox has fine hair and is really enjoying the FlexStyle. "I love the fact that it’s a hairdryer and hair tool in one. It’s so much easier to travel with and fewer things are needed on my dressing table." The paddle brush is especially fantastic, says Sophie, particularly for giving her fine hair lots of volume at the root. "I always finish my look by curling the ends of my hair with the auto-wrap curlers to give a real blow-dry look and to give my hair so much more body and movement," says Sophie. "I also have a disability, which weakens my muscles and means that I struggle using other hair tools. But the Shark FlexStyle is lightweight and the auto-wrap tool allows me to curl my hair much easier."

Iman Ogundeko is a beauty content creator with thick, curly hair who likes to switch between bouncy curls and a sleek blowout. "The Shark FlexStyle is so fun and easy to use," she says, "and I love how seamless it is to transition between the attachments. The dryer dried my hair in about 10 minutes, while the paddle brush stretched out my hair quickly. I was shocked at how straight it made my roots without having to use straighteners." Curling her hair with the barrel attachments was Iman’s favourite part. "There’s a small learning curve with this," she says, referring to mastering the air-flow technology, "but Shark makes it easy with the L and R [left and right for each side of your hair] labels. I don’t think I can curl my hair any other way now!"

And there you have it: picture proof that the Shark FlexStyle isn’t just for straight, long lengths. It works a treat on all hair types and cuts, whether you want to embrace your natural texture with curls or waves, or experiment with a blow-dry that’s speedy and sleek enough to rival a professional salon job.