"Half-Price Airwrap"... Tried the 'Dyson Rival' That Sold 130 Billion Won [Mania]

Review of US Shark Beauty Hair Styling Product

Lightweight and sleek design
Convenient 7-shaped fold
Fast and powerful styling without hair damage

Noisy and button placement is disappointing

A challenger to the "undisputed leader in hair styling," Dyson Airwrap, has emerged. It is the "Shark FlexStyle" from the American home appliance company Shark Beauty. Priced at about half of the Airwrap, it offers comparable performance and styling capabilities, attracting much attention. Shark FlexStyle reportedly achieved approximately 130 billion KRW in sales within just seven months of its launch across North America and seven European countries. I personally used the product for a week.

The product used was the "Shark FlexStyle Full Package Multi-Hair Styler." It is an integrated device combining a fast and powerful 1400W dryer with a styler that can be used according to hair length and style. The full package consists of five components: a dryer head, two curling barrels, a paddle brush, a round brush, and a curl diffuser.

'Shark FlexStyle' is a product that combines a hair dryer and a styler with a sleek design and lightweight.
Photo by Han Yeju

The sleekly designed main body boasts a lightweight 680g. Long styling sessions can strain the wrist, but this was alleviated. The cord length was ample, and the 90-degree rotating nozzle allowed convenient use without cord tangling.

The device has four buttons: power, temperature control, airflow control, and cool shot. Its intuitive design is a major advantage, allowing easy use without consulting the manual. There are three airflow levels and three temperature settings, enabling a total of nine detailed usage combinations. The cool shot function, used after styling, closes the hair cuticles and enhances hold.

The biggest advantage of the Shark FlexStyle is that the main body can be folded 90 degrees. It can be transformed into a 7-shape, allowing easy drying and styling without bending the arm or twisting the wrist. The dryer head also rotates 360 degrees, enabling airflow in a comfortable direction. The narrow tip was satisfying as it could deliver strong airflow precisely to the desired area.

'Shark Flexstyle' can be folded 90 degrees to reduce strain on the wrist. It is also intuitive to use.
[Photo by Han Yeju]

Attaching and detaching tools is also simple. Just align and twist to attach. To detach, press the side button down and twist in the opposite direction to easily switch to another tool.

The somewhat unfamiliar-shaped curl diffuser was good for creating elastic curls and volume. It seemed very useful for those wanting to easily add root volume or for people with perms from salons, as massaging the scalp while drying helps enhance volume.

As a reporter who often styles S-curls, I was most curious about the curling barrels, and ultimately, I was very satisfied. The biggest difference from Dyson’s latest product is that the barrel is divided into two. The Shark FlexStyle requires switching barrels depending on the airflow direction: use the barrel marked "L" for the left side of the face and the "R" barrel for the right side to create outward curls. Powerful airflow enabled quick styling, and I felt it was much stronger in airflow speed compared to the Airwrap I currently use.

Concerns about hair damage from styling were also reduced. After styling, frizzy hair was tamed, and shiny curls were achieved. According to Shark, the Coanda technology, which does not cause heat damage, attracts and wraps hair with air to assist styling. Additionally, the internal heat control function prevents extremely high heat generated by the dryer, and temperature is measured 1000 times per second to ensure consistent air temperature.

The 'Shark FlexStyle' full package consists of five items: a dryer head, two curling barrels, a paddle brush, a round brush, and a curl diffuser. It offers a satisfying option for those who could not afford the expensive Dyson.
[Photo by Han Yeju]

However, the noise during operation was quite loud. At first, I was surprised by the higher and louder noise than expected, but I quickly adapted after a week of use. Considering that family members who used the product with me did not find it particularly bothersome, it seems to vary by individual.

The placement of the buttons below the handle could be inconvenient. The distance between the cool shot button and the temperature control button made it awkward to switch between buttons when fixing the style. It was also disappointing that the cool shot button requires continuous pressing rather than a one-touch operation.

Nevertheless, above all, the affordable price makes it a satisfying choice for those who want hair styling without a heavy financial burden. The Shark FlexStyle is priced in the 300,000 to 400,000 KRW range. Compared to Dyson Airwrap’s price range of 600,000 to 700,000 KRW, it is about half the price.