Dyson Airwrap vs Shark FlexStyle comes down to how often you curl your hair. Both are air stylers that dry damp hair and wrap it around a barrel with airflow, the Coanda effect, so no hot clamp touches it. Buy the Shark FlexStyle if you blow dry often and curl now and then: it’s about $229, though the price changes often, and its body twists from a styling wand into a hair dryer. Buy the Dyson Airwrap i.d., about $649, if curls are the reason you’re shopping and you style several times a week. It has one barrel that curls in both directions and an app that times each curl for you. Neither one gives a pin-straight finish with the attachments in these two boxes, and neither curls dry hair.
Side by side
| Feature | Dyson Airwrap i.d. | Shark FlexStyle (HD430) |
| Price (changes often) | About $649 | About $229 |
| How it curls | Coanda airflow, one barrel that wraps in both directions | Coanda airflow, two 1.25-inch curlers, one for each direction |
| How it dries | Fast Dryer attachment on the wand | The body rotates into a hair dryer shape; concentrator included |
| Heat control | Dyson says air stays under 302F; 3 heat and 3 speed settings | Shark says temperature is measured and regulated 1,000 times a second |
| Wattage | 1,300 W | 1,600 W |
| Weight, per the brand | 1.4 lb | Just over 1.5 lb |
| Cord | 8.5 ft | 8 ft |
| In the box (Straight+Wavy version for Dyson) | Conical barrel, 1.6-inch long barrel, large round volumizing brush, anti-snag loop brush, Fast Dryer, Dryer+Flyaway smoother, filter brush, case | Two auto-wrap curlers, oval brush, paddle brush, styling concentrator |
| App | Yes, Bluetooth to the MyDyson app | No |
| Warranty | 2-year limited | 2-year limited |
Prices for both move around, so treat them as approximate.
What the Dyson Airwrap is now
The Airwrap you’ll find on sale now is the Dyson Airwrap i.d. multi-styler and dryer. Dyson describes it as its first connected hair tool, with the same styling abilities as the original Airwrap plus app features and new attachments. It’s a slim wand with a motor that Dyson says spins at 110,000rpm, fast enough to make air cling to a curved barrel and pull your hair around it.
The “i.d.” part is the app. You answer six questions about your hair type and length in MyDyson, and the wand then runs a sequence Dyson calls i.d. curl: it times the wrap, the styling and the cold shot for each section, so you push the button and wait instead of counting. Dyson also says you can lower the heat through the app if your scalp is sensitive.
It comes in two kits, Straight+Wavy and Curly+Coily, with different attachments. The kit linked here is the one engineered for straight and wavy hair. The kit we link names a soft smoothing brush where Dyson’s own kit has the anti-snag loop brush, so read the included items before you buy. Dyson also sells a newer, pricier model, the Airwrap Co-anda2x, which we cover below. Our full Dyson Airwrap review has the technique.
What the Shark FlexStyle is
The Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System is two tools on one motor. In one position, with the concentrator on, it’s a hair dryer. Give the body one twist and it becomes a styling wand that takes the curlers and brushes. Shark says the auto-wrap curlers use Coanda airflow to attract, wrap and set the hair, the same principle Dyson uses.
The HD430 kit is the one compared here: two 1.25-inch curlers, an oval brush, a paddle brush and a concentrator. Extra attachments, including a curl-defining diffuser, a round brush and a wide-tooth comb, cost about $40 each on Shark’s site, so add up what you’ll use before you buy. Shark says the tool suits straight, wavy, curly and coily hair. Our Shark FlexStyle review goes deeper on who it fits.
Where they differ
The curling barrels. This is the gap you’ll feel every time. Curls look more natural when they alternate direction on each side of your face. Dyson’s conical barrel is multidirectional, so you switch direction on the barrel itself. Shark puts two curlers in the box, one per direction, and you swap them partway through. It’s a small chore. The Dyson barrel also tapers at the tip, which Dyson says lets you style closer to the root.
Drying. Both dry hair. Dyson includes a Fast Dryer attachment that it says takes hair from wet to damp or dry. The Shark handles it differently: the whole body rotates into a hair dryer, with a concentrator that Shark says rotates for angle control. If you want one tool on the counter that’s a dryer in its own right and not a wand with a drying attachment, that’s the Shark.
Controls. The Airwrap i.d. has three heat and three speed settings, plus the app-timed curl sequence. The FlexStyle has no app and no timer. You count in your head. Whether that matters depends on you. If you’ve curled your hair with air before, you already know your timing. If you’re new to it, the automatic sequence takes out the guesswork that makes first attempts uneven.
Heat. Both brands say their tool prevents heat damage, and both describe active temperature control. Dyson gives a number: air kept under 302F. Shark says the FlexStyle measures and regulates temperature 1,000 times a second and doesn’t publish a cap for the HD430. Those are the makers’ claims. Cooler than a flat iron still isn’t cool, so use a heat protectant with either one. Our heat protectant guide covers what to look for.
Power. The Shark is rated at 1,600 watts and the Dyson at 1,300. Wattage tells you what a tool draws from the wall, not how well it curls, so don’t choose on that line alone.
Smoothing. The Dyson Straight+Wavy kit has an anti-snag loop brush, a large round volumizing brush and a Dryer+Flyaway smoother for finishing dry hair. The Shark has an oval brush for volume and a paddle brush that Shark says smooths and straightens as you dry. Both give a polished blowout. Neither kit includes an air straightener.
Price. The Shark FlexStyle HD430 is about $229 and the Dyson Airwrap i.d. about $649. That’s a gap of roughly $420. On their own sites, Shark lists the FlexStyle at $349.99 and had it marked down to $229.99, and Dyson lists the Airwrap i.d. at $649.99.
Who should buy which
The Shark FlexStyle fits someone who dries her hair most days and curls it some days. You get a dryer, two brushes for a blowout and the auto-wrap curlers for the weekend, in one tool, for about a third of the Dyson’s price. It’s also the sensible first purchase if you’ve never used an air styler and don’t know yet whether the routine will stick.
The Dyson Airwrap i.d. fits someone who curls several times a week and wants the process to be easier. The single two-way barrel, the tapered tip and the timed sequence all serve that one job. If curls are occasional for you, you’re paying for convenience you’ll rarely use.
A few people should pass on both. Hair above the chin has little for a wrapping barrel to catch. If your goal is a glass-straight finish, these two kits won’t get there. And if you want curls on dry, second-day hair, a regular iron does that and these don’t. Our guide to curling irons sorts those by budget.
What else to consider
Shark FlexStyle IonCurl (HD840)
Shark’s newer FlexStyle. Shark says it gives bouncier, more defined curls than the original, adds a pause button for releasing a curl and a scalp mode, and caps air at 302F.
Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x
Dyson’s top model. Dyson says it’s 30% more powerful, with 4 heat settings, and the Straight+Wavy kit, the one linked here, adds an air straightener attachment.
Prices move constantly, so we link to live listings instead of printing a number that is wrong by the time you read it. Links go to Amazon, which is where a referral gets credited.
The IonCurl is the one to look at hardest. It’s about $20 more than the original FlexStyle, and the pause button and stated heat cap answer two of the things the original lacks. If the two Sharks are that close in price on the day you shop, the newer one is the better buy. For straightening from wet with a Dyson, see our Dyson Airstrait review.
If I Were You
If you blow dry four or five days a week and curl twice a month, buy the Shark FlexStyle. You’ll use the dryer and the oval brush constantly, and the curlers are there when you want them.
If you curl three or more times a week and money isn’t the deciding factor, buy the Dyson Airwrap i.d. Not swapping barrels and not counting seconds adds up over a year.
If you’ve never used an air styler, start with the Shark. Two months will tell you whether you’re someone who styles on a weekday, and you can trade up later.
If your hair is curly or coily, don’t buy the default kit of either. Dyson sells a Curly+Coily version, and Shark sells a curl-defining diffuser for the FlexStyle separately, at about $40 on its site. Check the attachment list before you buy.
If straight and sleek is the look you wear most, skip this pair and look at the Dyson Co-anda2x, which adds an air straightener attachment.
If your hair is cut above the chin, keep your money. A dryer and a round brush will do more for you.
FAQ
Is the Shark FlexStyle a dupe for the Dyson Airwrap?
It’s similar in the way that counts: both use Coanda airflow to wrap damp hair around a barrel, and both dry and smooth with brush attachments. It isn’t the same tool. The Shark needs two curlers where the Dyson uses one, and it has no app or timed sequence. In exchange its body converts into a hair dryer and it costs less: about $229 against about $649.
Can you use either one on dry hair?
Not for curling. Air styling sets a curl as damp hair dries in shape, so both are meant to be used on damp hair. Dyson describes its Dryer+Flyaway smoother as being for dry and straightened hair, so finishing is the exception.
Do I still need a separate hair dryer?
Not with the Shark: its body rotates into a dryer and it comes with a concentrator. With the Dyson it depends on you. Dyson includes a Fast Dryer attachment that it says takes hair from wet to damp or dry, but the tool stays a wand, and our FlexStyle review doesn’t count it as a replacement for a dryer you already like. Our blow-drying guide covers the technique either way.
Which one is better for fine hair?
Neither brand makes a fine-hair claim, so this is our reasoning, not a spec. Fine hair wraps easily and drops quickly, which makes the cool-down step matter most. The Dyson’s sequence builds in a timed cold shot. With the Shark you do that step yourself, and it works if you don’t rush it.
Is the Dyson Airwrap worth the extra money?
Only if you curl often. The extra roughly $420 buys the two-way barrel, the app-timed sequence and more attachments in the box. Those earn their keep on hair that gets curled several times a week. On hair that mostly gets dried and brushed smooth, the Shark does that job for less.
Bottom line
These are closer than the price tags suggest. Both wrap hair with air, both dry, both come with a two-year limited warranty. The Shark FlexStyle is the right tool for a routine that’s mostly drying with some curling, and the Dyson Airwrap i.d. is the right one when curling is the routine. Decide which of those describes your week before you look at either box. There’s more in our Buy, Dupe, or Splurge archive and the hair archive.
