Every beauty enthusiast knows the struggle of the at-home blowout: it usually takes forever, and arm fatigue is real. Enter the latest contenders in the world of hair styling: the Dyson Airwrap, Shark FlexStyle, DryBar Double Shot Dryer Brush, and the ghd Duet Blowdry. These devices promise to transform your hair styling routine, offering up everything from sleek finishes (no flatiron needed) to voluminous curls with less fuss in shorter time. But how do they stack up against the stalwarts of blow-drying, like Dyson’s Supersonic Hair Dryer and Shark’s Hyper Air?
In our comprehensive comparison, we dive into the nuances of each tool, evaluating not just their styling prowess but also their ease of use, versatility, and value for money. Do the multifunctional capabilities of a full blowout system – like the Dyson Airwrap – justify the price, or are you better off with a more straightforward approach, ie a good hair dryer + dryer brush? Whether you’re a hairstyling novice or a bit of a beauty connoisseur, our editors have some thoughts on which tools truly deliver the blowout of your dreams, and which might leave your hair (and your wallet?) a bit…deflated.
Since we have a wide variety of opinions, preferences, needs and hair types on our team, we wanted to package up a guide to the best high-end hair tool for you. Whether curly, straight, short, long, fine, thick – and/or in need of shine, heat protection, ease, time saving, or an absurdly easy blowout, this list should help you narrow things down.
Below are our thoughts on five highly-rated hair tools (that happen to be on sale now or are likely to be soon). We’re covering the Dyson Airwrap & Supersonic Hair Dryer, Shark FlexStyle & Hyper Air, DryBar Double Shot Dryer Brush and the ghd Duet Blowdry.
As editors, we’ve tried our fair share of beauty things that are hot on the market. Some have stuck around and proven loyal to our everyday routines, some have not. Everyone (+ every hair type) is different, but here are our opinions, advice, and suggestions. If you’re looking for a bit of guidance when purchasing a hair dryer that hopefully will make your life a whole lot easier, smoother & luxurious, you’ve come to the right place.
The Dyson Airwrap: Our Review
WHERE TO BUY: Nordstrom | Dyson | Saks | Amazon | Sephora
BEST USED FOR: Medium to long hair; The easiest blowout ever; Heat protection, Defrizzing, Volume.
PRICE: $599.99
COMPETITOR: Shark FlexStyle ($299.99)
INCLUDES: Main body + 6 attachments; 1.2″ barrel, 1.6″ barrel, firm smoothing brush, soft smoothing brush, round volumizing brush and smoothing dryer. Also comes with detangling comb, filter cleaning brush & storage case.
PROS: All-in-one tool, almost foolproof to use; Curls, shapes, smoothes & hides flyaways; No heat damage; Static reduction; Multiple temperatures & speeds; Intelligent heat control; Works well on curly, straight, fine, breakage-prone, and/or color-treated hair; 15 minute blowout (for long hair); Easy switch for changing curl direction. Anti-frizz tool works jaw-droppingly well.
CONS: Price; Storage case is large, not all editors loved the brush attachments.
WHERE TO BUY: Nordstrom | Dyson | Saks | Amazon | Sephora
I struggled a little bit with the Airwrap at first because my longer hair would end up wrapping around itself and not fully drying the overlapped parts – but THEN Dyson came out with the extended version. And, well, that was that, haha. I love how bouncy, light & frizz-free my hair felt after using the curling attachments on my 80% dry hair (just a preference). Also the negligible hair damage made me feel much better about using it 1-2 times a week (if my blowout even needed refreshing). Even when my hair is fully wet, I can have a complete blowout done in, like, 15 minutes.
But to be completely transparent – I sold mine after around a year. I was hoping to use it weekly (I wash my hair every 4ish days), but only ended up using it before events or when I wanted my hair to look real good (i.e. not every day haha). While I absolutely loved using it, I knew a more affordable option (the Drybar Double Shot Dryer Brush) would benefit me just as much.
On the other hand, Shana, who has little patience for beauty tools, prefers the Airwrap because the curling wands are so easy to use. The round brush attachment – or even round brushes used with regular hair dryers – don’t give her nearly the same results, “this might be a me problem” she joked, “but I can’t ever figure out how to properly use a round brush. My hair just ends up straight.” The ease of use is one major plus for the Airwrap and I think it’s important to note that the Airwrap likely looks more intimidating than it is. Anne called the AirWrap, “Blowouts For Dummies” and Linzi, who is “FAR from meticulous about my technique,” has found that the Dyson Airwrap is almost foolproof.
Linzi (a curly haired gal), loves the Airwrap for “tons of volume with relaxed, natural looking curls.” Anne, another one of our curly haired editors, did a full comparison of the Dyson Airwrap vs the Shark, but declared Dyson the winner because the suction power on the Dyson curling wands are more powerful, and “simply curled hair more effectively”.
Dyson’s de-frizz tool also got a ton of love from our editors! Anne joked that her “mouth actually dropped open like in a movie” after going over her curly blowout with Dyson’s de-frizz attachment, and Scotti has called it a “game changer” especially for those little wispy hairs on damaged hair.
P.S. The latest Dyson Airwrap has a switch that changes the direction of airflow from right to left when curling, which means you don’t ever have to swap out barrels –another game changing upgrade!
Shark FlexStyle: Our Review
WHERE TO BUY: Nordstrom | Shark | Amazon | Sephora | Ulta
BEST USED FOR: Shaping curls; Straightening hair.
PRICE: $299.99
COMPETITOR: Dyson Airwrap ($599.99)
INCLUDES: Multistyling tool + 5 attachments; 1.25″ barrel curlers, oval brush attachment (for smoothing & defrizzing), paddle brush attachment (for powerful airflow, straightening & smoothing) and styling concentrator attachment (angled for control).
PROS: Protective bristles; Easy-to-use oval shape; Rotates to bend 90 degrees (like a more traditional-looking hair dryer).
CONS: Defrizz attachment wasn’t as effective as Dyson Airwrap, suction power on curling wands not as strong or effective as the Dyson.
WHERE TO BUY: Nordstrom | Shark | Amazon | Sephora | Ulta
Anne says Shark has better brush attachments and superior hair dryer functionality (compared to the Dyson Airwrap). “For me, as a curly haired woman, I like to “halo dry” my hair – essentially taking the diffuser attachment and circling my hair at a distance of 6-8″ to take my hair from sopping wet to damp before styling. I found this easier to achieve withthe Shark.”
Anne also prefered the combination of the Shark’s firm plastic comb teeth + soft bristles onthe brush attachments, as compared to the stiffer nylon bristles found on the round brush attachment that comes with the Airwrap.
If the curling wands aren’t your main focus, the Shark Flexstyle is a really good value for the price.
More on Anne’s comparison of the Dyson Airwrap & Shark FlexStyle here.
Drybar Double Shot Dryer Brush: Our Review
WHERE TO BUY: Nordstrom | Amazon | Sephora | Ulta
BEST USED FOR: Smoothing a blowout; An effortless ’90s look; Quick drying; Shine; An affordable option.
PRICE: $155
COMPETITOR: ghd Duet Blowdry ($399.00)
INCLUDES: Dryer brush – no attachments.
PROS: Price (in comparison to similar dryer brushes); Rids hair of kinks & waves; Adds volume; Straightens; Three temperature settings (low, high, cool).
CONS: No heat protection (so you must use a spray); Hair should be almost dry to use.
After deciding that my Airwrap wasn’t as worth it to me as I hoped it’d be (price per use = high), I moved onto this thing because it seemed a whole lot simpler and more of what I was looking for – which is really just some flipped/curled-up ends with my straighter blowout. I just LOVE the ease and efficiency (it takes me like ~ 15 mins to blowout my whole head) and the fact that it’s under $200.
One of Scotti’s favorite parts is that it gets rid of all the weird kinks and waves in her hair and I totally agree. I’d pick this one over ghd Duet Blowdry (its competitor) any day.
ghd Duet Blowdry: A Review
WHERE TO BUY: Nordstrom | Amazon | Sephora | Ulta
BEST USED FOR: Taming frizz; Volume; Straight blowouts.
PRICE: $399.00
COMPETITOR: Drybar Double Shot Dryer Brush ($155)
INCLUDES: Dryer brush – no attachments.
PROS: Easy to use (one button); Tangle-free; Constant temperature-sensing; Prevents heat damage.
CONS: Price (for one tool with no attachments); Takes a few seconds to heat up.
WHERE TO BUY: Nordstrom | Amazon | Sephora | Ulta
There are two key differences between the ghd Duet Blowdry and the Drybar Double Shot: the brush shape and the temperature-sensing feature to prevent hair damage. Personally, I prefer the rounder shape of the Drybar dryer brush over ghd’s more rectangular dryer brush. The ghd brush felt a little clunkier to maneuver, but once I got the hang of it, it was *almost* as easy as Drybar (but not quite). The rectangular shape didn’t curl the ends nearly as well.
That said, the shine the ghd Duet provides + the zero heat damage is very compelling. In fact, the silkiness and shine was almost otherworldly – so if your frizzy hair needs some help, this one might be worth your time (and $$).
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer: Our Review
WHERE TO BUY: Nordstrom | Dyson | Amazon | Sephora | Ulta
BEST USED FOR: Everyday drying (straight or curly); Quick (like, impossibly fast) drying; Lightweight to use; Doesn’t take up much space.
PRICE: $499.99 everywhere – but $429.99 on Dyson (we don’t know why).
COMPETITOR: Shark Hyper Air ($249.99)
INCLUDES: Hair dryer + 5 attachments; styling concentrator, flyaway attachment, wide-tooth comb, gentle air attachment, wave + curl diffuser.
PROS: Sensors automatically adjust airflow & temperature; Scalp protect mode helps improve scalp moisture retention for long-term shine; Comes with a variety of attachments; Can dry from completely wet hair; Compact.
CONS: Price; Diffuser bowl isn’t as large as the Shark Hyper Air, and you’ve gotta know your way around a brush (or follow up with a curling iron) to get that blow-out look
WHERE TO BUY: Nordstrom | Dyson | Amazon | Sephora | Ulta
Fans of this hair dryer (and we’ve got many of ’em) talk about this thing like it’s magic. And with a dry time of under 5 minutes for even thick hair, it’s no wonder. Scotti swears by this hair dryer for saving her bleached + heat-damaged hair (she no longer needs to straighten her hair after drying) and talks about how quickly & beautifully the diffuser attachment works on curls (she uses it on her daughter, and her curly-haired mom uses it, too).
Shana’s been using this dryer for years now, and remarked on how the attachments are really thoughtful and well-designed. Her favorite? The gentle air attachment (it looks like a simple, wavy ring). “Before I realized what it was,” she told me, “the dryer was so powerful that my hair tangled while I was trying to blow it dry. Once I popped on the attachment, however, I was shocked by how well it worked. Now my hair dries super fast, without getting blown around like crazy.” She did note, however, that she only uses Dyson hairdryer when she’s going to style her hair straight. “Because I never got the hang of those round brushes” she shared, “if I want a more blow-outy look, I’ve gotta use the full Dyson Airwrap, or follow up with a curling iron for a few waves”.
But it’s important to note that Scotti, our unofficial beauty editor (she’s a professional makeup artist, for one) has clearly stated that if she had to choose just ONE hairstyling product, her “all-time-favorite, can’t-live-without, would-replace-it-in-a-second-if-I-lost-it Dyson product?” Yup: it’s Dyson’s hair dryer.
If you’re still on the fence, it’s worth reading Scotti’s full and in-depth review of the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. She talks about using it on both straight & curly hair, and includes a complete how-to guide for each attachment.
Shark Hyper Air: A Review
WHERE TO BUY: Amazon | Walmart | Bloomingdales
BEST USED FOR: Diffusing, drying & smoothing curls, Lasting styles.
PRICE: $249.99
COMPETITOR: Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer ($499.99)
INCLUDES: Blow dryer + 2 attachments; styling brush (to dry, straighten & shine) and 2-in-1 concentrator (to dry & shape your hair in fewer steps). Diffuser & waver attachments available for purchase.
PROS: No heat damage; Multi-styler; Simple to use; Large diffusing bowl (for curly hair) with adjustable prongs for hair length.
CONS: Dries hair slightly slower than Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, doesn’t include as many attachments as the Dyson (flyaway attachment, gentle air diffuser, and wide tooth comb are notable missing attachments).
The Shark is really similar to the Dyson hair dryer in almost all ways: power, speed settings, heat settings, overall weight, noise level (low, FYI) and “intelligent heat control”. The main differences, however, are price and attachments.
The Shark hair dryer doesn’t contain some of our very favorite attachments that come standard with the Dyson hair dryer, namely the wide-tooth comb attachment, the gentle hair diffuser, and the flyaway attachment, but it does have a diffuser attachment that is bigger and deeper than the Dyson’s.
A diffuser attachment is important for curly-haired people – that thing can make or break a dryer. Anne gave the Shark points for the large diffuser bowl (both larger and deeper than Dyson’s), allowing her to dry larger sections of hair, cutting down on overall dry time. To her, the price of the Shark was an easy win as it compared to the Dyson Supersonic. “This baby gets to live with me until its motor dies a natural death,” she said. (You can read .)
Wavy-haired girls might miss the wide-tooth comb, tho, which is used to lengthen wavy or curly hair as you dry. “I can get weird waves underneath the top layer of my hair,” Scotti explained, “and this attachment helps smooth all the layers out with one hand.”
Additionally, the flyaway attachment (also missing from the Shark) is Scotti’s favorite, specifically for hair that’s showing a little damage. “It lifts longer hair and hides flyaways – all of those little hairs that stick up, especially in the dry winter – leaving my hair looking SO much smoother,” she said.
Hope we saved you from a potentially, uh, hairy situation. 😉
Xo, Abby + Team
