One of the most iconic hair dryers in the world, I have used the Dyson Supersonic as my sole hair dryer since I got my hands on one back in 2019. And despite testing so many hair tools and hair dryers for work during that time, I’ve never been tempted to stray from it. However, Shark’s tools—in particular its hair dryers—always receive incredible press and rave reviews from those who use them. So when Shark launched its new SpeedStyle PRO Flex Hair Dryer back in September I was excited to give it a go. I can’t scroll through TikTok without seeing the brand’s buzzy Air Styler being used in a get ready with me video, so I couldn’t wait to try my own Shark tool to see if it would live up to all the hype around the brand.
My honest review of the Shark SpeedStyle PRO Flex Hair Dryer
(Image credit: Mica Ricketts)
What makes the Shark SpeedStyle PRO Flex different to other hair dryers?
If you’ve had a hair dryer for a long time, like me, then it’s easy to think that all hair dryers are pretty much the same. Even before my current model, I had a budget-friendly hair dryer that I used for the best part of a decade before it gave up. There are a few key factors that set Shark’s newest model apart from others on the market, as well as its predecessors.
First up, the high velocity air flow which promises fast and easy hair drying. As someone that has always been incredibly low-maintenance when it comes to styling my own hair, and now has two young children to get ready of a morning, anything that promises to cut down my beauty routine is going to be music to my ears. Plus, it has a new foldable handle for easier storage—something which I didn’t think would be much of a selling point, but I was pleasantly surprised at how small and compact this makes the tool.
The brand new Scalp Shield technology, however, has to be the main draw for me. Developed by Shark Beauty engineers, it aims to protect new hair growth from the damage that extreme heat can cause. You simply hold down a button and it adjusts the temperature without compromising on the air flow velocity to make drying your roots and scalp more comfortable, while still being effective. As I’m still dealing with regrowth after some pretty hefty postpartum hair loss, I thought this was a really nice addition.
Finally, the addition of four of Shark’s signature accessories isn’t anything new—this brand are renowned for the quality of their styling extras—but as someone that has recently extended their minimal hair tool collection to include a blow-dry brush I was interested to see how some of these attachments would stack up against it.
The hair dryer
(Image credit: Mica Ricketts)
So, onto the hair dryer itself. My first impression was that this hair dryer is insanely lightweight—in fact, it feels almost like a travel hair dryer. It’s that light. Once you’ve unfolded the barrel and switched it on, however, it’s clear that this is an incredibly powerful hair tool. My hair is fairly thick, and I have a mix of softer waves and tighter curls which hold a lot of water. Generally, I think that a rough blow dry would take me around ten minutes, but with the Shark SpeedStyle Pro Flex my whole head of hair was dry in around five minutes flat. On this basis alone I was ready to wave goodbye to my current hair dryer because I’m that passionate about saving time on my beauty routine (and also I find drying my hair incredibly boring). Not only that, though, but even just roughly drying my hair without using any of the attachments I felt like my hair was left more smooth and less dishevelled than it usually is after I’ve blasted it with a hair dryer. So, what difference would the attachments make?
The attachments
(Image credit: Mica Ricketts)
Just like the hair dryer itself, all of the four attachments are surprisingly lightweight. Here’s a run down of what’s included (pictured clockwise from top left corner):
- Turbo Concentrator: My most-used attachment. This focuses the air through a slim narrow nozzle for fast styling and a sleek finish. After rough drying my hair I tend to attach this to finish off my blow-dry for a soft and smooth results.
- QuickSmooth Brush: This is for creating voluminous, straight hairstyles, and I was excited to try this. It definitely does add volume and I like that I was able to mimic a salon-style finish by pulling the hair quite tightly to add shine and smooth the hair cuticle. However, I did find that the angle of the hairdryer meant it felt a little cumbersome to use so I’m not sure that I’d reach for it over my blow dry brush.
- Frizz Fighter Finishing Tool: The surprise star of the show for me comes via this finishing attachment which smooths flyaways, calms frizz, and gives hair a really high-gloss finish. It uses Coanda airflow technology to attract and smooth hair without heat damage and I’ve found that it really improves the finish of my blow dry and how long it lasts.
- Defrizz Fast Diffuser: I never get on with diffusers because of how slowly they tend to dry hair and, honestly, I don’t love the texture of my hair afterwards. This one features retractable prongs to define curls on all hair lengths and was definitely faster than other diffusers I’ve tried. Plus, it’s so lightweight which made it easy to use so I would be tempted to use this more.
My honest thoughts
(Image credit: Mica Ricketts)
Honestly, I really think that this is a brilliant hair dryer and a versatile hair tool which bridges the gap between a basic hair dryer and a more advanced multi-styler. For the price, I think it has an impressive and versatile amount of attachments—all of which deliver on their claims—and the speed and power of the drying cannot be faulted.
For me, the biggest pros are knowing that I’m looking after my scalp and more fragile hair with the Scalp Shield Mode—I didn’t get any of that stingy feeling that I often do when a hot hair dryer gets too close to my scalp—as well as how fast my hair dries using this. I’ve cut my blow dry time in half effectively. The Turbo Concentrator and Frizz Fighter Finishing Tools are great for a basic but smooth and shiny blow dry too. I also love how incredibly lightweight the hair dryer is. My arm never feels achy or tired after using this, and it takes up a small amount of space storing it too.
The downsides for me are purely personal preference. As I’ve mentioned, I’m rubbish at doing my own hair so while I was looking forward to the QuickSmooth Brush attachment, I found it a bit tricky to use and don’t think I’ll get much use out of it personally.
At just under £200 it’s definitely still an investment, but it’s £100 less than my current hair dryer and I definitely won’t be going back to my old one. For the price, I think it offers functionality and versatility for all hair types with options for easy drying and styling depending on your preferences. It’s a winner.