The newest addition to Shark’s FlexStyle range, the FlexStyle IonCurl is an upgrade to the original Shark FlexStyle air styler and FlexStyle Glam ceramic styling system, promising precision styling with less frizz, bouncier curls and no heat damage. It’s on sale in the US now for $349.99. In the UK, it’s available to pre-order, directly from Shark, and will go on general purchase from September 23rd. The pink IonCurl 5-in-1 costs £299.99 (2 x 24mm Coanda Curlers, 2x 32mm Coanda Curlers, FrizzFighter High Shine Polisher, Oval Brush, Styling Concentrator) and the purple Shark FlexStyle IonCurl 4-in-1 costs £269.99 (2x 32mm Coanda Curlers, FrizzFighter High Shine Polisher, Oval Brush, Styling Concentrator).
I got an early UK hands-on with the Shark FlexStyle IonCurl at an event in London where I had a stylist use it on my hair and afterwards, I also tested it myself – luckily, I have enough hair to go around. Here are the things I loved about it and the one thing that irked me…
Frizz-free finish
Let’s start with the lack of frizz, as it’s genuinely impressive. My hair is frizz prone, especially when worn curly – the IonCurl did a great job of taming frizz, static and flyaways. Ion Smooth Technology is to thank – the styler has a whopping 200 million negative ions to keep hair smooth. The polisher attachment also proved to be effective in smoothing annoying baby hairs – something I’d use at home and in between styling sessions.
Easy curls
The CoandaBoost Technology makes curling your hair super simple. The Coanda airflow attracts hair to the curler – I’ve tested several of these and it still feels like magic – and automatically wraps and sets curls, in just a few seconds. The wrap force is strong, and I noticed the curls in my hair were particularly bouncy and they still look good the day after styling.
Scalp-friendly
The IonCurl’s Scalp Shield Mode protects from excessive heat by automatically adjusting temperatures when drying the hair near the scalp. In testing, my scalp didn’t get hot at all – the technology works as well as that seen in the £400 Dyson Supersonic Nural hairdryer. It’s a fantastic hairdryer, even without its curling capabilities and very comfortable in the hand, too.
Brilliant Brush
I’m a fan of hot brushes and the oval brush attachment on the IonCurl is the best I’ve tested yet for my long, thick hair. No pulling or tugging, it just got it smooth and under control, before using the curling attachments.
What I didn’t like
If I’m being picky (and let’s be honest that’s my job) there is one thing I don’t particularly like about the Shark FlexStyle IonCurl. You have to change curling barrels to change curl direction. Is it a deal breaker? Certainly not, but I would prefer to simply twist a button, as per the Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x.
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