Is FlexStyle Better Than Dyson Airwrap?
It's amazing how far the world of hair styling has progressed over the past 10-20 years. What used to be an in-demand salon service, blowouts can now be pulled off just as easily right in your own bathroom. All you need is one of these nifty new styling tools to get that fresh-from-the-salon look.
It's no secret that Dyson turned the hair care world on its head when the Airwrap first made an appearance about six years ago. Since then, we hadn't seen another brand try their hand at replicating the device, until now. Meet the Shark Flexstyle, a new hair-styling tool also created by a vacuum company.
I've written about my love of the Dyson Airwrap previously. But after trying the new Flexstyle at home, I'm impressed by how similar they truly are. If you're someone who loves the look of a blowout, but doesn't have the cash to shell out at Drybar every week, it's time you consider investing in a Dyson ($600, sephora.com) or a Flexstyle ($299, amazon.com).
Wondering which one is worth it? With a $330 price difference between the Dyson and the Flexstyle, one would really need to weigh the pros and cons of both and figure out what works best for them. This post is all about the performance and technology of the Flexstyle and Dyson Airwrap. Plus, I've added my thoughts on which one is worth your money.
Flexstyle vs. Dyson Airwrap
Performance
Note: This review is of the original Dyson Airwrap Styler, not the new Dyson Airwrap Complete, which I have yet to get my hands on. I think these two tools perform differently, but the results are pretty much similar. I did notice that when using any of the attachments, the Flexstyle dries your hair slightly faster than the Airwrap. While using the styling concentrator, the curling wands, and the brushes, I found the air speed of the Flexstyle to be much stronger and faster in doing its job of drying and styling my hair in a quicker way.
I also love that the Flexstyle spins into a blow dryer—it's a really cool blow dry design. The Airwrap has three airflow speeds, two hot air settings, one cold air setting, and then the cold shot button to help lock in a look. The Flexstyle comes with three airflow settings, three hot air settings, and one cold shot button. One key difference between the two is how much heat each tool emits on its highest setting.
When using the Flexstyle, I did find that the highest heat setting was far too hot on my hair. It was practically burning my scalp. I don't recommend anyone use that heat setting on their hair unless they want to significantly damage their hair and scalp.
Thankfully, you can still use the first and second heat settings on the device and still not cause a ton of heat damage to your hair. The Airwrap does not get as hot as the Flexstyle, so it might take longer to style your locks. That being said, it's less likely to cause a ton of damage to your hair and scalp since it's not as hot.
Wands
As I mentioned earlier, I don't have the new Dyson Airwrap Complete. I have the original Airwrap with the sets of multiple curling wands that go in opposite directions separately. Due to this, I can't comment on the new rotating barrel attachments on the newest Airwrap device.
However, I can still compare all the attachments that come with the two devices. With the original Airwrap, you get the pre-styling hair dryer attachment and four curling attachments (in two different sizes), a firm smoothing brush attachment, a soft smoothing brush attachment, and one round brush attachment. The new Airwrap Styler Complete comes with a Coanda smoothing dryer attachment, two rotating curling barrels (each a different size), two smoothing brushes, and one round volumizing brush.
The Flexstyle includes a style concentrator, a paddle brush, an oval brush, and two auto wrap curlers ( they are the same size). There is also a curl defining diffuser sold separately that you can use on your device.
I would have to say the Airwrap round brush and the Flexstyle curling wands are my faves.
I love that the Airwrap round brush really gives you that gorgeous, bouncy blowout you would get at a salon. Unfortunately, the oval brush that comes with the Flexstyle doesn't really give you that kind of bounce like the Airwrap round brush. Instead, the oval brush offers a sleeker-looking blowout.
On the flip side, it is much easier for the Flexstyle curling wands to gather and wrap your hair around the barrel compared to the Airwrap curling wands. I also found that the Flexstyle curling attachments made my hair dry faster and generally were quicker than the Airwrap curling attachments.
One of the big downsides with the Flexstyle curler attachments is that they only come in one size. The Airwrap comes in two sizes, and the new Airwrap has curling attachments that are rotating. Meaning, you do not have to switch out the barrels each time you want to change the direction of your curl.
I felt that the Airwrap smoothing brushes and the Flexstyle paddle brush did pretty much the same thing. I didn't notice a big difference between them.
The Flexstyle concentrator attachment works so much better for a rough dry on hair than the original Airwrap dryer attachment. I haven't had the chance to use the new Airwrap Styler Complete Coanda smoothing dryer, so I can't say there, sadly.
Technology
Both the Flexstyle and the Airwrap utilize the Coanda effect to achieve the various styles. One of the peculiar physical phenomena is the Coanda effect, which occurs when air is expelled at a certain velocity and pressure. It spontaneously follows an adjacent surface, pulling in surrounding air and creating a spinning vortex of air around the cylindrical-shaped barrels of the Flexstyle or the Airwrap. What sets the Flexstyle apart from the Airwrap is that the Flexstyle is hotter and the airflow is much stronger. But, like I said, I wouldn't use the hottest setting on the Flexstyle too often. I think it would fully fry your hair. I love how the Flexstyle has a rotating base that can convert to a blowdryer.
Price Tag
Of course, the price difference between the Dyson Airwrap and the Shark Flexstyle is a big draw for most people. The Airwrap costs $600, while the Flexstyle is $270. The Flexstyle comes with five attachments, while the Airwrap Styler Complete comes with six attachments.
Airwrap Styler Complete comes in two sizes—the regular size and the long size. Then, there's the Airwrap multi-styler Complete Curly/Coily set for purchase for textured hair. The Flexstyle only comes in one size. You can buy the curl-defining diffuser separately if you have curly or textured hair, though.
While the attachments that come with each are comparable, they surely give different looks, as I said in an earlier post.
Shark Flexstyle vs Dyson Airwrap: Which Is Better?
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hair after using the Dyson Airwrap round brush attachment |
The choice between the Shark Flexstyle and the Dyson Airwrap really depends on what you are looking for in a hair tool. The Flexstyle dries hair quicker, gets hotter than the Dyson, and is so much cheaper.
The Airwrap takes a bit longer to style hair, but if you are really concerned about your hair health, then the Airwrap could be the best alternative for you. Styling more than three times per week? I would suggest going for the Dyson Airwrap. It might benefit your hair health in the long run. On the other hand, I am really impressed with the Flexstyle. I would definitely recommend it to anyone seeking a multi-styling tool that creates different styles with impressive results. I'm just amazed at how well this device creates curls with the two curling wands. And I also love how powerful the airflow is, too. I guess
my biggest negative with the Flexstyle is that I prefer a bouncy blowout look rather than a smooth blowout look.
You can't achieve a bouncy blowout look really with the oval brush with the Flexstyle. When trying to get a bouncy blowout look from home, I prefer the round brush on the Airwrap. The type of blowout that the Flexstyle Oval Brush gives you is similar to the one the Revlon One-Step Volumizer Original gives you, if you've ever tried that device. If you're a fan of the bouncy, blowout look, I would recommend either investing in the Dyson Airwrap or getting a round brush blow dryer (like the Drybar Single Shot Round Blow Dryer Brush, $132, amazon.com). Even if you bought the Flexstyle and the Drybar Round Brush, that would still be $198 less than the Airwrap! All-in-all, I would probably go for the Flexstyle as it is less expensive and just as effective (if not more) as the Airwrap. I hope you guys found this review helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or reach out to me on myX!
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