Good deal – The Shark FlexStyle “4 star” hair dryer at €199.99

The American Shark presented its first styler during IFA 2022. Sometimes a hair dryer, sometimes a curling iron, the FlexStyle relies on the Coanda effect to shape the hair. Another advantage of this styler: its price positioning much lower than that of its main competitor, the Dyson Airwrap.

The Shark FlexStyle is a very serious competitor to the Dyson Airwrap. Its pivoting head and numerous attachments make it a versatile device, sometimes a hair dryer, sometimes a styler. The accessories attach without problem and the device is well made. In testing, the FlexStyle proved to be a control freak and manages to produce consistent heat that’s not harsh on the hair. Its air flow has a broad spectrum, being suitable for all hair types. On the other hand, we deplore poorly placed and not very ergonomic controls, as well as a shrill noise that is more than disturbing.

Strong points

• Dries as well as it styles hair.
• Lots of accessories that make the device more than versatile.
• Good temperature control, naked or with accessories.
• Good quality hairdryer, pleasant to handle.

Weak points

• Shrill noise, quickly unbearable.
• Inconvenient controls, placed too far from the hand.

Alternatively

The Smooth Pro 2100 ticks all the boxes of a traditional hair dryer. Thanks to its concentrator and diffuser, this Babyliss can dry straight, curly and frizzy hair. Its handling is intuitive and the controls are quickly assimilated, but you should not hope to take it everywhere with you: the Smooth Pro 2100 is quite bulky. It even has the bad sides of the classic hair dryer. Thus, its heating is not uniform and, above all, it is too high. Used repeatedly and too close to the strand, the device risks damaging the hair.