For those who enjoy styling their hair, the home bathroom cabinet often houses numerous devices. With the Shark FlexStyle, these are soon to become redundant, as it functions as a hairdryer, hot air brush, curling iron, and more in one. Whether this styling aid lives up to the manufacturer’s promises in practice or falls short, we reveal in our review.
Contents of Delivery Shark delivers the styler and its attachments in an aesthetically pleasing case. Everything has its place and is ready to use when needed. Many competing products do not offer such storage options, earning the FlexStyle an initial bonus point.
In addition to the case and the styler, there are six attachments included. The oval brush creates volume, while the paddle brush smooths frizzy hair. The two curling attachments help achieve large curls (left or right-turning). The diffuser enhances natural curls, and the concentrator focuses the airflow for targeted styling.
An illustrated manual shows the basic operation of the styler, explaining step-by-step how to use each attachment with text and images. Users can also access a video via a QR code if needed. We are very pleased with the manual, which provides excellent guidance for experimenting with the FlexStyle, even for styling novices.
The individual components are delivered in a stylish transport case. Design and Craftsmanship The Shark FlexStyle impresses at first glance with its elegant design. The device comes in a chic champagne shade and feels premium, justifying its recommended retail price of €349. We notice no gaps or sharp edges. The control buttons are well-made and integrate seamlessly into the device. The surface is matte, leaving no annoying fingerprints after use.
Without an attachment, the styler is 28.5 centimetres long and weighs a manageable 390 grams. The cable length of approximately 2.7 metres is also sufficient. We are pleased with the quality of the attachments, which are made of plastic with bristles included for the brush attachments.
The unique feature of the Shark FlexStyle is its versatility. Initially designed as a long rod, users can easily attach the different attachments. By pressing a button on the back, we can rotate the top part of the styler by 90 degrees, converting it into a hairdryer. This versatility is a real eye-catcher and makes the design of the Shark FlexStyle stand out.
The air outlet can be easily rotated 90 degrees, making the FlexStyle perfect for use as a hairdryer. (Photo: Testsieger.de) Operation and Handling Shark FlexStyle Power: 1,400 Watts Temperature Settings: 3 Airflow Settings: 3 Attachments: Oval Brush | Paddle Brush | Curling Irons | Diffuser | Concentrator The Shark FlexStyle has four buttons for operation. The power button is located at the lower end of the styler, to switch the device on and off. Above this is the button to adjust the heat, which has three settings. Next is the button for airflow intensity, also adjustable in 3 stages. In the middle of the device is the cool shot button. When pressed, it cools down hair during styling. The buttons are a bit too low for our liking, especially for one-handed operation. The power button, in particular, can almost cause the device to slip out of the hand. However, the buttons respond quickly and have a pleasant touch.
A highlight of the Shark FlexStyle is its 90-degree rotation capability. This is not only advantageous for drying but also for styling with attachments, sometimes making it easier to reach the back of the head. But this is a matter of preference. Users are free to choose whether they prefer styling in bent or straight mode. The rotation works smoothly and without much effort. The rotating cable that swivels flexibly in any direction is also practical.
Attaching the attachments is straightforward. We just plug them in, twist slightly, and they click into place. To remove them, we push the release button at the top of the styler down and pull the attachment off. Overall, handling is really simple and convinces us in the test.
However, we notice that both the device and the attachments get quite hot. For this reason, the latter feature so-called Cool-Touch grips, so users don’t burn themselves when removing them. Still, everything should be allowed to cool down before being placed back in the case.
The Shark FlexStyle in Practical Test Hairdryer With 1,400 watts, the Shark FlexStyle has considerable power, evident when drying hair. On the highest setting, it blows strongly, reaching about 90 decibels (dBa) beside the device and nearly 105 decibels directly at the air outlet, though not quietly. The sound is quite high-pitched, but we find the volume tolerable. Due to its thin rod design, the airflow is narrower than a standard hairdryer, so the device should always be kept moving for quick hair drying. The drying results impress us. The high performance dries hair quickly without causing static or frizz.
The Shark FlexStyle is powerful, drying hair quickly and leaving it feeling pleasant.Oval Brush The large oval brush is designed to add more volume to the hair. We follow the ideal settings from the included manual, which provides tips for using the attachments. For our tester with fine, medium-length hair, the brush is a bit too large. A smaller variant would have been appreciated. Nevertheless, the brush serves its purpose and adds more volume to the hair.
Paddle Brush The paddle brush is used for smoothing hair. Again, handling is quite straightforward. The hair is partly pre-dried and then each strand is brushed downwards with the large brush. This helps users get rid of unwanted curls and frizzy hair.
Curling Irons The Shark FlexStyle comes with two curling irons – one right-turning for the right and one left-turning for the left side of the head, framing the face ideally with curls. The trick: the attachments work with the Coandă effect. This means that strands automatically wrap around the attachment due to a special airflow. In practice, this usually works well, though occasionally we have to manually wrap the hair around the rod. Styling with the curling attachment requires practice and doesn’t succeed on the first try. After a few attempts, perfect curls are achievable. However, we recommend using a suitable hair product to ensure the curls last for several hours.
Thanks to the Coandă effect, strands automatically wrap around the curling irons. (Photo: Testsieger.de) Diffuser The diffuser is used to enhance natural curls, a classic hairdryer attachment. This is quite large on the FlexStyle and has retractable nubs for more or less volume. For our tester with natural curls, it works well, though the attachment is a bit too large for medium-length, fine hair.
Concentrator Another classic hairdryer attachment is the concentrator, which focuses the airflow. This allows users to style their hair precisely, for example, with a separate round brush. The concentrator fulfils its purpose and impresses.
Conclusion The shark flex styler scores highly in our test. With a bit of practice, styling is successful, hair does not dry out, and there is no trace of frizz. Particularly, the bending function makes the device unique and facilitates styling with the adjustable angle. With its 6 attachments, the FlexStyle is highly versatile and well-crafted. Another plus is the large case for storage. The only downside is the position of the control buttons, which could be optimised. Overall, the recommended retail price of €349 is justified. The Shark FlexStyle is recommended for anyone who likes to style their long hair in various ways.
