The viral Shark SmoothStyle Heated Brush is my new go-to hair tool – it’s four times cheaper than the Airwrap
WE have loved the Shark FlexStyle for many years, and we recently tried the Shark SmoothStyle Hair Styler to see how it faired in comparison to the Dyson Airwrap.
But would it convince us to swap from the iconic Dyson tool to this new Shark rival?
Shark SmoothStyle Hair Styler, £89.99 (Was £99.99) Shark Clean
The Shark SmoothStyle Hair Styler is available to shop from numerous retailers, but it is currently on sale for £89.99, reduced from £99.99.
The price reduction means the Shark SmoothStyle Hair Styler is almost £400 cheaper than the Dyson Airwrap, which is quite a saving.
Some question if a Dyson Airwrap is worth the hefty price tag, but if you're on a budget there are effective and affordable alternatives to shop.
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There are plenty of Dyson Airwrap deals to save on the hotly anticipated tools, as well as affordable duplicates.
We have tried a whole host of the best Dyson Airwrap dupes to see how well they compare, such as the Shark FlexStyle, the Beauty Works Aeris Hair Dryer, and many other brands.
But our latest test has been with the Shark SmoothStyle, and after previously raving about the Shark FlexStyle we had high hopes.
When you pull the Shark SmoothStyle out of the box you could easily mistake it for the hugely popular, and affordable, Revlon Volumiser, because of the round bristle brush that works to dry and style your hair.
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But the Shark SmoothStyle Hair Styler has some subtle differences which help it out from the crowd, namely the heated comb edges.
The Shark SmoothStyle has three-speed settings, which can be used on damp hair to dry and style, but the Dry Mode setting that reaches 215 degrees should only be used on hair that is bone dry and on the comb section of the design.
The Shark design can be used to achieve a soft straight blow dry look, voluminous waves, or sleek curls.
The Dry Mode setting also helps to provide a sleek finish to minimise frizz and flyaways.
However, it does not include additional attachments, so if you're looking for interchangeable heads and tools this might not be for you.
Here's everything you need to know about the hair tool, including where to buy it and our honest thoughts.
Shark Smooth Style: At a glance
- Price: Originally retails for £99.99, but has been reduced to £89.99 at select retailers
- Where to buy: The Shark Smooth Style is available from Shark's direct website, as well as Boots, Argos, Cult Beauty, Lookfantastic, and John Lewis.
- Hair type: Best suited to mid to long hair, all hair types and textures
- Weight: 0.75kg
- Size: H:8.28 x W:9.62 x D:35.4cm
- Settings: Three airflow settings and Dry Mode
Shark SmoothStyle: My thoughts
The Shark SmoothStyle Hair Styler is a multipurpose hair tool and an affordable one at that.
Typically volumising hair brushes have one or two settings, and the heat and speed settings are combined.
The Shark SmoothStyle has four modes, which include three heat and speed designs to be used on damp or dry hair, and work to dry, volumise, style and shape all hair types.
The fourth mode is the Dry Mode which reaches a scorching temperature of 215 degrees, which is only to be used on dry hair that runs through the heated comb section of the brush.
The settings are easy to switch between using the rotating dial on the base of the tool and flicking to the very end to activate the Dry Mode, which you will be alerted to when the red lights turn green and it is ready to use.
However, my one bugbear is I always fear I haven't switched off my hair tools, and unlike other appliances I have used that have an auto shut-off feature, or beep to alert you the power is still on, this Shark SmoothStyle doesn't have those options, so be super vigilant to switch off properly.
The device is lightweight, and easy to use, thanks to the absence of hair attachments and easy to use dial.
However, the brush head is quite large, so it is not as effective on short hair, particularly crops and bobs.
I have long hair and even getting to the root was at times difficult because of the size of the brush, but this is when the defined heated comb segment came in useful.
Having said that the SmoothStyle effectively dries and styles my hair effortlessly in a matter of minutes without contributing to heat damage.
The brush itself is a combination of boar bristles and nylon bristles, which glide through the hair, detangle any knots, add volume and ensure even distribution of airflow.
On the side of the round brush are two heated smoothing comb sections, which feature ceramic-coated plates to provide a silky smooth, sleek and polished finish, which also reduces any frizz or flyaways.
The comb section, which is the section of the brush with pink teeth on the edges, is activated when the tool is in Dry Hair Mode, and the red lights turn green to indicate they are ready to use, though this takes a few moments to activate, unlike the speedy set up of the devices.
This section glides through the hair effortlessly but leaves a sleek finish you can expect from a heated hair tool, like a straightener.
I mainly used the Dry Hair mode when I had finished drying and styling my hair on the other settings just to tame the frizz, and create a sleeker style.
But you can also use this setting on day two or three after a hair wash to give your hair a little refresh.
While the Dry Hair mode and heated smoothing comb are effective for a more polished finish and save me from having to go over certain sections of my hair with separate heated appliances, however, it is not necessarily as powerful as heated straighteners or curling tongs.
The Shark SmoothStyle takes the place of numerous hair tools I own in one device, which is why I score it highly in the hair tool category.
Is it as powerful as the Shark FlexStyle or Dyson Airwrap? I would say no, and the style doesn't hold as long as the aforementioned tools, or hold a tight curl, but if you are looking for a softer hairstyle, and an appliance to dry and style your locks easily, without breaking the bank, this is an option I would recommend.
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Where to buy Shark SmoothStyle
There are numerous retailers to shop the Shark SmoothStyle Hair Styler, both online and in-store.
- Shark - buy here
- John Lewis - buy here
- Lookfantastic - buy here
- Cult Beauty - buy here
- Amazon - buy here
- Sephora - buy here
- Boots - buy here
- Argos - buy here
Want to find more savings on your online shopping? Then head to Sun Vouchers where you can get discounts and voucher codes from hundreds of top retailers including B&Q, Boots, Iceland, Lookfantastic, Dunelm, Adidas, Marks & Spencer and more.