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Dyson Airwrap vs. Shark Flexstyle By: Miley March





Introduction

When it comes to buying a high-performing hair tool, the choice is typically between the Dyson Airwrap and Shark Flexstyle. The first model of the Dyson Airwrap was released in 2018, made to curl and dry hair without high heat. The updated model was released in 2022 along with the Shark Flexstyle. These two were created in order for hair to be styled and dried at the same time, which makes hair washing day a lot simpler. Additionally, this two in one lessens the chance for excess heat damage from the reduced access to heat. Also, these were made to make it more time efficient when wanting a quick hairstyle for on the go. It takes over an hour when trying to dry and style with other hair tools, which is where the Dyson Airwrap and Shark Flexstyle come in when wanting to save time.

Price

When discussing price, the Dyson Airwrap is noticeably more expensive compared to the Shark Flexstyle. The Dyson Airwrap is considered to be in the premium tier of hairstyling tools when it comes to at-home styling. Depending on what version of the Dyson Airwrap is being purchased it’s relatively retailed around the $500-$600 range. There is a higher quality Airwrap than just the basic Dyson Airwrap Origin Multi-Styler and Dryer which is the Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler Curly +Coily. This hair tool retails for $650 plus tax. If you’re looking for a hair tool that has it all, this is definitely the one to purchase unless you don’t like the price point. However, there are many websites that sell Dyson Airwraps for a drastically less price. These could be refurbished or even brand new. 


When comparing the cost of both the Shark Flexstyle and Dyson Airwrap, the Shark has a more budget friendly price point. The Flexstyle retails for $350 to $450 depending on what model is being purchased. The highest performing model is the Shark Glam Hot Tool Air Styling & Drying system, which retails for $449 plus tax. Depending on what you’re specifically wanting to purchase, it’s nice knowing there’s a less expensive option. The drastic difference in price point is what compels most people who are interested in both, to buy the Flexstyle. Shark has a strong reputation of having superior quality in their products, so when debating on what to purchase Dyson and Shark are both adequate until it comes to the cost.






Attachments

Depending on your budget, there are different Airwraps that come with various
attachments, starting with the basic model, Dyson Airwrap Origin multi-styler and dryer, which includes three attachments, a curling barrel, combing brush, and the blow-drying attachment. However, if you aren't looking into purchasing a higher priced Airwrap in order to obtain more attachments, they are also sold separately on the Dyson website. The purpose of the Dyson Airwrap and its many attachments is to create a much more accessible and flexible hair tool for all purposes. This design is intended to reduce the need for excessive heat, making sure their style doesn’t lose its form within an hour due to multiple heat tools. The Dyson Airwrap has the ability to use any attachment, so it doesn’t typically matter what model you choose to buy. Dyson offers up to nineteen different attachments for the Airwrap plus accessories. My personal experience when using the Airwrap attachments is that they tend to start being unlocked after a few uses. It seems like the wand loses its locking mechanism for each attachment little by little after each use. This is severely unfortunate as people are spending over half a thousand dollars on this hair tool. It should be expected to sustain itself for years when retailing for that price
point. 

 

The Shark Flexstyle is a much more budget-friendly option if what you’re looking for is to have multiple attachments for a singular price point, instead of multiple different purchases. The basic model of the Flexstyle, FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System, includes five different attachments which are two curling barrels, a flat brush, a round brush, and a styling concentration attachment. This model retails for $350 but goes on sale throughout the year repeatedly unlike the Dyson Airwrap. Similarly to the Dyson, the Shark website sells attachments separately to the Flexstyle. There is also a feature on their website that allows you to “build your own” Flexstyle package. Meaning, you can choose the attachments that fit your hair type or if you just want a specific attachment. In my experience, the Shark Flexstyle has a strong locking mechanism when using each attachment. There hasn’t been a time when it felt like the attachment was unclicking when I was using it.





Technology

The Dyson Airwrap’s main attraction is the sense of there being little to no heat involved when styling. This mechanism is called the Coanda effect, meaning there is a fast air current pulling in the hair towards the barrel to create a curl and smoothness which requires little to no heat (“Coandă Effect”). In my experience, I had curled my hair intending it to last multiple hours and it remained intact strictly from using the Airwrap barrel attachment. I did have to use hairspray, but my hair also loses curls very fast even when using product. So, there was no difference but that is just my personal experience. If you have thick and wavy hair you know how much of a pain it is for any style to stay after only an hour. Another part of the Dyson Airwrap that attracts is the controlled temperature setting. It remains at a temperature below 302 degrees Fahrenheit, making sure there is no chance of heat damage. Additionally, when using the barrel attachments there is a feature called the cold shot. The cold shot is used whenever using a barrel attachment in order to lock in the shape of a curl. This is by a blast of cold air that is demonstrated from pressing the blue button on the tool. The science behind this is locking in the freshly formed hydrogen bonds which form the shape of the curl. I personally love this feature as it ensures I’m not using too much heat when wanting my hair to be curled.


Additionally, the Shark Flexstyle has similar features to the Dyson Airwrap. Like the Airwrap, the Flexstyle also uses the Coanda effect, allowing curls to form without extreme heat. However, a difference between the two is the Flexstyle has a built in hair drying system. Simply by twisting the handle, it can be used like a normal hair dryer. This is something the Dyson Airwrap lacks as it needs another attachment to do so. In my experience, whenever using the Airwrap it was always a pain having to switch back and forth if my hair was still wet before using the other styling attachments. When using the barrels on this hair tool, the curls lasted way longer than the Airwrap because of its strong airflow. I did use hairspray before an event, and they lasted the entire dance. Also, between the two normal hair drying tools, with my hair being more on the thicker side the Flexstyle dried it way faster than the Airwrap. It has a much more powerful airflow and heat setting which causes it to work quicker.



                                       


Hair Type Suitability

The Dyson Airwrap specializes in being used for fine, thin or even damaged hair due to its focus on gentle styling from its technology. The Airwrap has a consistent airflow along with its three heat settings that don’t reach above the temperature of 302 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating no chance of severe heat damage. This is an important feature especially for this hair type as it’s more prone to breaking due to the less amount of hair. Whenever seeing bad reviews of this product, it was mostly due to how slow it is at drying their hair. The most probable reason due to this complaint is because they don’t have the correct hair type for the Airwrap. They either had thicker hair or curlier, which requires a more heavy duty hairdryer than the Airwrap. Personally, before I purchased the Flexstyle it would take about two hours to fully dry my hair with the Airwrap. This is because I was unaware of how it’s specifically meant for thinner hair. 

 

As discussed, the Shark Flexstyle is able to be used for all hair types but especially for thicker or textured hair that needs a stronger airflow to dry faster. It also offers a higher heat setting than the Airwrap that gives the user the option to use if wanted. This speeds up the long tedious process of hair drying before actually styling it. This also makes it easier to smooth out hair that is more textured and is more resistant in styling. In my experience, this helps a ton as my hair is very thick and wavy. Between the Airwrap and the Flexstyle, it takes me 30 minutes to dry my hair with just the basic hair drying wand when the Airwrap takes over an hour. However, if you have hair on more of the finer side the Flexstyle is a good option as well. Just because your hair might not be thick doesn’t mean you aren't able to purchase the Flexstyle. This goes for the Airwrap as well. It’s just recommended to purchase what fits your needs.

Conclusion

In comparing the Dyson Airwrap and Shark Flexstyle from price, attachments,
technology, and hair type suitability, both have their own strengths and weaknesses depending on what you’re looking for. While the Dyson Airwrap is noticeably more expensive, it offers quite a lot of specialized attachments along with heat control technology that prevents heat damage. It’s also user friendly when styling for fine hair because of this. The Shark Flexstyle is much more budget friendly, has stronger airflow and the practical design of being a hairdryer plus a hair tool from its uses of multiple attachments. The Flexstyle is also widely more recommended than the Airwrap for thicker or textured hair because of its stronger airflow and higher temperature availability. On the other hand, a similarity between the two is their usage of the Coanda effect, in order to style without the use of high temperatures. Ultimately, depending on your wants and needs there are two to choose from. The Dyson Airwrap with the gentle styling and various attachments or, the Shark Flexstyle with strong capability and ease for drying and styling.


Work Cited

“Coanda Effect | Physics | Britannica.” Www.britannica.com,

www.britannica.com/science/Coanda-effect. 

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