UPDATE: Aug. 25, 2023, 5:00 a.m. EDT After conducting additional testing, we've added a new Dyson Airwrap alternative to this review — the amika Blowout Babe thermal brush.
The uncontested reign of the Dyson Airwrap has reached its end.
After testing the Dyson Airwrap and testing the Shark Flexstyle (and along with a few other dupes on the market), we can definitively say that the Shark FlexStyle is the best hot air styler for most people.
That's only sweetened by the fact that the Airwrap will run you $600, while the Flexstyle costs $279.99.
Why the Shark FlexStyle is the best Airwrap dupe
After five years on the market and two iterations, the legendary multi-functional styler has met its match in the Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System. The metallic-beige hair tool utilizes the same Coanda airflow technology once solely possessed by Dyson, and this Dyson Airwrap dupe innovates on the original's iconic design with a few subtle tweaks that give it performance bumps in some use cases. Considering it retails for less than half the price of the Airwrap, anyone who still blindly recommends Dyson's version is blowing out hot air.
This isn't to say the FlexStyle is the ideal Dyson Airwrap dupe for everyone — at $279.99, it's still technically a splurge. Below, we'll go into more detail on why it's worth it and offer up some other Airwrap dupes under the $200 mark for those willing to make some concessions for affordable DIY blowouts.