Some of my earliest memories include watching my mom pin up her hair with hot rollers every morning. My bathroom drawers were filled to the brim with cute hair ties, barrettes and accessories specially sent over by my grandma from Korea. On the way to school, my mom would firmly state “Hair’s the biggest part of an outfit. It carries 70% of a woman’s look,” with such certainty I believed for years that researchers had come out with such a statement. Clearly, this hair obsession runs through the DNA of women in my family.
I’ve become more obsessed with my hair with every passing year to the point where I got both the mega-popular Dyson Airwrap and the Shark FlexStyle to compare which one I liked more. My roommate also bought an Airwrap, so I’ve compared the two tools for months now despite returning my Airwrap fairly soon after purchasing it. Through my research, I’ve found that the FlexStyle has two main advantages over the Airwrap: price and the ability to customize.
- The Price Is Right
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As soon as the FlexStyle came out, everyone was quick to call it a “dupe” for the Airwrap. They look identical (same number of heat settings, a “cool shot” function and multiple attachments) but the FlexStyle retails for $299.99 while the Airwrap is $599.99. I was initially hesitant to purchase the FlexStyle especially because the term “dupe” is now used by influencers so loosely. However, as someone who’s bought both, and eventually returned the Airwrap weeks later, I can genuinely say that there is no significant difference in performance or quality to a regular consumer like me.
- Customizable Sets
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For context, my roommate has thin curly hair and I naturally have fine wavy hair (chemically straightened not once, but twice). I like to add to the damage but using heat on my hair every day so it’s safe to say my hair is not in peak health. To be transparent, neither the Airwrap nor FlexStyle will completely straighten and smooth anything more textured than wavy hair in an efficient manner, but the FlexStyle seems better suited to style all hair types.
A complaint I had with the Airwrap was that I had multiple attachments I had no use for. Shark solves this issue by offering a “Build Your Own” set option ($279.99) where you can choose any three attachments best suited to your needs instead of buying the entire set. They also have two pre-made sets, one for straight/wavy hair and one for curly/coily hair which includes a curl-defining diffuser with retractable and extendable prongs. This is great because as a customer if I’m paying hundreds for a hair tool, I want to use each attachment.
Note: Not product-related, but Shark’s Instagram uses a much wider range of hair types to demo the products.
- It’s All In The Details
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Two advantages the Airwrap has over the FlexStyle are that it’s lighter and their newest edition allows you to twist the direction of the curling barrels so you don’t need to switch out barrels. But let’s be realistic for a second. If I’m saving $300 by using the FlexStyle, I can handle it being a couple of ounces heavier for a few minutes. Think of it as a good arm workout. And for the fancy bi-directional barrels, it quite literally takes two seconds to swap barrels. If two seconds of your life are worth $300, by all means, I fully support you in purchasing the Airwrap.
Also, the FlexStyle folds into a typical hair dryer shape so that it’s easier to dry your hair. This seems to be a huge selling point for people because it makes drying your hair so much easier on your hands.
Both the Airwrap and the FlexStyle are amazing tools for people who can’t figure out how to curl their hair with a straightener or curling rod (I’ve tried so many times). Both will give you the most bouncy and voluminous hair if you use them right. If you’re debating getting one of them over the other, remember that it’s the technique that matters most. Be patient with yourself during the learning curve, try different methods and invest in some high-quality texturizing spray and hair spray!