Both machines work the same way. A fast, narrow jet of air past a barrel drags hair around it and curls it without a hot tong touching the strand, which is why neither needs the 200°C plates a curling iron uses.
The Shark FlexStyle does it for around $372. The Dyson Airwrap costs around $999. The Dyson is quieter, lighter in the hand and more consistent at picking up fine ends; the Shark converts into a conventional dryer, which the Airwrap does less convincingly, and costs about a third as much.
Dyson Airwrap i.d. multi-styler
Dyson's Coanda-effect styler, now in the i.d. version that stores a hair profile in the MyDyson app and runs the same curl sequence each time. Barrels, brushes and a drying attachment come in the case, and the machine measures air temperature many times a second to hold it below the point where hair is damaged.
Dyson has no affiliate program on this site, so the link above is a plain one to Dyson's own store and earns nothing.
What We Like:
- Curls without hot plates on the hair
- Quietest of the two
- Attachments stored in a case
What We Don't Like:
- Around $999
Shark FlexStyle HD421SLANZ
A 2-in-1: the body bends at the middle so the same motor is a curling styler in one position and a straight hair dryer in the other, with four attachments, four heat settings and three airflow speeds. 700 grams. Owners on Amazon rate it 3.8.
That rating is the honest figure and it is lower than the Dyson's reputation would suggest. The recurring complaint is that fine or short hair does not always catch the airflow first time.
What We Like:
- Folds into a proper hair dryer
- Four heat and three airflow settings
- Around a third of the Airwrap price
What We Don't Like:
- Fine hair can be fiddly to catch
Side by side
| Dyson Airwrap | Shark FlexStyle | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $900–1,000 | $350–400 |
| How it curls | Coanda airflow | Coanda airflow |
| Converts to a dryer | Limited | Yes, the body bends |
| Heat settings | Measured, app-guided | 4 |
| Airflow settings | 3 | 3 |
| Attachments | Barrels, brushes, dryer | 4 |
| Weight | — | 700g |
| App | MyDyson, stores a curl profile | No |
| Owner rating | — | 3.8 (21) |
The Shark figure is from Amazon, where it is the linked stockist. Dyson does not publish a comparable single rating on its Australian product page.
What actually differs
Price. Around $999 against around $372. Nothing else in this comparison outweighs a gap that size, and the two machines do the same core job.
What happens when you want a blow-dry. The Shark's body bends in the middle, turning the styler into a conventional dryer with a nozzle. The Airwrap has a drying attachment but is not really a dryer. For a bathroom with room for one appliance, that matters.
Catching the hair. The Airwrap picks up ends more reliably, which is most of what people describe as it being easier to use. Shark owners mention having to re-position a section to get it to wrap.
Noise. The Dyson is the quieter of the two. Neither is quiet.
Where the money goes. Dyson's price buys a smaller, lighter motor, tighter temperature control and the app profile. Whether those are worth $600 depends entirely on how often the machine gets used: daily styling makes the case, a Saturday-night machine does not.
Who each one suits
Dyson Airwrap suits daily styling, someone who has already tried a cheaper air styler and found it fiddly, and households where the money is not the constraint.
Shark FlexStyle suits most people trying an air styler for the first time, and anyone who wants one appliance that both dries and curls.
FAQs
Do air stylers damage hair less?
They style at a lower temperature than a curling iron or straightener, because the air does the shaping rather than a hot surface pressed against the hair. That is a real difference, not marketing.
Does the Shark work on short hair?
Less well. The airflow needs a length of hair to wrap, and owners with bobs report more repositioning. The same limitation applies to the Dyson, just less often.
Can I buy the Airwrap through a retailer?
Dyson sells it direct in Australia and through some department stores. There is no affiliate program on this site's roster, so the link here goes to Dyson and earns nothing either way.
