Marie Claire's Shark FlexStyle Review

Publish date: 0001-01-01

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My hair has always been a mystery to me. I could never get it to look good. Until a few short months ago, I got by with a rough blow dry and a few haphazard passes with a hair straightener. For special occasions, I was lucky if I could manage somewhat decent curls. So when I got the chance to try the viral Shark FlexStyle, I was intrigued.

Shark’s multi-style tool launched in 2022 and promised something akin to magic: the ability to blow dry and style one's hair with one device (much like the Dyson Airwrap, but at a much lower price point.) Gone were the days of needing a blow dryer, a curling iron, and professional-level skills to achieve salon-worthy hair at home. All over TikTok and Instagram, content creators tested the FlexStyle. And their hair; it flounced.

Maybe you saw those videos. Maybe you were skeptical. I was, too. And so, in the name of beauty research, I tested it out for myself. Over the last four months, I've been using the Shark FlexStyle daily. Just me, in my apartment, no sly editing tricks or perfect lighting. This is my honest, in-depth review—the good, the bad, and the bouncy.

What Makes It Special

The big selling point for the FlexStyle is that it's basically a full-on salon in one tool: a blow dryer, along with multiple styling attachments. And it's easy to maneuver between all of them. The “Flex” in the device's name comes from its ability to transform from a traditional blow dryer into a hair styling tool with a twist of its nozzle. When your hair is dry and ready to curl or straighten, you move the nozzle into an upright position and "click" in your preferred styling attachment.

It's also lightweight. In technical terms: It's 1.5 pounds, making it far lighter than other options on the market. In less-technical terms: You won't feel like you just hit the gym for an intense arm workout after you're done with your hair.

And the device uses technology that prevents major heat damage. It regulates its temperature 1,000 times a second to keep it consistent as you use the tool. Many other traditional blow dryers don't have this feature, causing the heat to increase or decrease over the course of the blow dry. This can give you inconsistent results and hair damage.

Putting It to the Test

I tested the Copper Ultimate Travel Set, which comes with a concentrator, auto-wrap curlers, an oval brush, a paddle brush, and diffuser attachments. These were the results on my long, naturally straight hair:

The Auto-Wrap Curlers

I consider the Auto-Wrap Curlers Shark’s answer to a traditional curling iron, but with a high-tech upgrade. They use Coanda technology, which means that a spinning vortex is created with the right speed and pressure. What this means: Strands easily wrap around the barrel, creating bouncy curls.

Each FlexStyle comes with two Auto-Wrap Curlers, one for each side of the head that curls in different directions. The curlers are available in .95-inch barrels (for tighter curls) and 1.25-inch barrels (for softer, bouncier ones).

Because my hair is longer, I used the 1.25-inch barrels, which allowed me to get the curls of my dreams in 30 minutes, something I've never been able to do before.

The curls did tend to fall out a bit throughout the day, but I didn't mind because they still looked like a flippy blowout rather than perfectly defined ringlets, which is my preferred finished result anyway. But if you want to ensure your curls stay intact, I recommend using a volumizing product, like a hair mousse that gives your strands body with an extra boost of hold, and finishing your style with hairspray.

The Oval Brush

This Oval Brush attachment turns your Shark into one of those hair dryer brushes you’ve seen all over TikTok. It has bristles all the way around it, which helps create bouncy volume at your roots and swoopy frizz-free layers.

I was able to give myself a blowout in about 20 minutes when using the oval attachment. And it gave my thin, flat hair volume, which is a miracle in its own right. I also loved using the curved edges to slightly curl my hair inwards on the ends—it makes my layers stand out so much more and creates that pro-blowout look I’ve always wanted to recreate myself.

The Paddle Brush

The Paddle Brush is designed to straighten, smooth, and add shine, all while drying hair. This attachment will be your favorite if you love a traditional flat iron. It creates sleek styles with minimal frizz thanks to special bristles meant to add tension. Admittedly, this attachment doesn’t get much use from me because I can’t add much volume to my roots since the brush is flat. The upside, though, is that this I'm able to dry and style my hair in about 15 minutes when using this attachment.

The Curl-Defining Diffuser

If you have curly or coily hair, the FlexStyle comes with a diffuser attachment. The attachment evenly blow-dries hair for a frizz-free finish. It features a large bowl to dry bigger sections of hair at a time. On the side, you’ll also find a switch to change the length of the prongs: shorter for short hair lengths and longer for longer hair lengths to reach the roots. My hair texture is naturally straight, so I didn’t have much use for this attachment.

My Recommendation

In my eyes, the Shark FlexStyle is a worthy investment. Thanks to its versatility, it can eliminate all your hair tools, making it worth the $350 price tag.

What I love most is that it’s singlehandedly given me the confidence to do my own hair. I can finally achieve voluminous curls with the Auto-Wrap Curlers and a layered blowout with the Oval Brush. Meanwhile, it’s comforting to know I can do a super-sleek style or attempt natural waves with the Paddle Brush and Diffuser. It took almost three decades to figure out my hair, but hey, look at me now.