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This Shark tool is my fast track to a salon-worthy bouncy blow dry
This tool is a blow dryer, hot brush, hair straightener and curler all-in-one. Daisy Lester, Senior Shopping Writer, shares her experience.
In a world of Dyson Airwrap alternatives, Shark – another vacuum brand-turned-beauty-giant – reigns supreme. Debuted in 2022, Shark’s hair tool range rivals Dyson for versatility, offering different attachments for achieving a salon-worthy bouncy blow dry at home and amassing billions of views on TikTok. Shark has introduced various improvements in the years since. The Glam is the latest and best multi-styler Shark sells – and I’ve been testing it for a month. As a Dyson Airwrap loyalist, could the more relatively affordable tool tempt me away?
The Shark multi-styler is a blow dryer, straightener, curler and hot brush all-in-one. Complete with six attachments – including a barrel for each air flow, two rounded bristle brushes, a diffuser and concentrator nozzle – the tool comes in a useful storage case. The sleek Glam is available in either black or stone (the latter is my preference), but its standout design feature is the ability to transform into a traditional hair dryer by rotating the nozzle. Costing £299, it’s certainly not cheap – but the Shark Glam is still nearly £200 less than Dyson’s Airwrap i.d.
Shark’s hair tool uses the same high-speed, regulated airflow and Coanda technology as pricier alternatives. It all sounds great on paper, but how does the Glam perform in practice? I swapped my Dyson Airwrap for the Shark Glam for a month. I’ve spent weeks drying, curling and straightening my hair with the Shark Glam, testing both the wet and dry functions, and the finished results. Wearing my hair straight some evenings, curly on others, and waved day-to-day, here’s how I got on with the TikTok-viral tool.
Shark Glam hair tool: Attachments, heat settings, and air flow
Launched in 2025, Shark’s Glam is a versatile tool, complete with two barrels (one for each air flow direction), a hot brush-style rounded bristle brush and a smoothing paddle brush. One of its best design features is how it can transform into a traditional hair dryer: simply rotate the nozzle for a more precise and controlled blow dry. Plus, there’s a diffuser and styling concentrator. Fast and powerful, it’s far better than most purpose-built hair dryers.
The tool comes with six attachments. Across every attachment, there are heat settings and three airflow options – plus a wet or dry option. This is particularly useful with the straightening attachment, as you can not only use it to smooth mostly-dry hair, but also to touch up day-old locks. I love it for sleek looks and for adding a small flick to the end of my hair. The dry mode is also handy for the barrels, adding volume to hair between washes (make sure to use the cold setting to set hair). I found that my hair gripped well to the paddle brush attachment, creating a bouncy look – but flyaways and frizz were exacerbated with the rounded brush. Unlike other premium hair tools, there’s no smoothing or flyaway taming attachment, which I mourned.
How the Shark Glam performs for curling
Shark’s Glam tool creates curls with air in the curling barrel rather than heat, helping to reduce heat damage. The barrels on the Glam are uniquely rounded and bumpy but this design didn’t help with grip, and I found my hair needed a lot of coercing to wrap around the barrel. However the barrels helped create a natural and undone look, giving the illusion of natural waves and definition. If you like a hair style that doesn’t look like you’ve used a tool for, then you’ll be pleased with the Glam. Practise makes perfect, too, and the process was a lot quicker and easier after a few goes. The finished, natural look. The two separate barrels for each airflow, however, are a little annoying as you have to switch barrels for each side of your hair. When I attempted tighter curls, I found they fell out into looser curls after a few hours.
Is the Shark Glam worth it?
Compared to other multi-use hair tools on the market, Shark’s Glam is excellent at drying, thanks to its ability to turn into a powerful, fast-drying and fully-functioning hairdryer, complete with a style concentrator and diffuser. The function is arguably better than many one-function hair dryers. When it comes to attachments, the tool offers plenty of versatility with barrels for curling, a brush for volume and a straightening tool for a sleek look. However, I found my hair needed some persuading to grip and wrap around Shark’s barrels – but the results, after some coercing, were undone and natural. The tool can be used on either wet or dry hair, with settings for each. This makes it great for touching up and smoothing hair between washes, as well as heat drying it straight after washing. If you’re not willing to fork out nearly £500 for other premium air stylers, Shark’s Glam is an excellent alternative.
How I tested the Shark Glam
Over the years, I’ve tried two versions of the Glam, with the latest 5-in-1 being a new addition to my routine in 2026. I considered ease-of-use, attachments, versatility and finished results using the tool, while also testing its speed and heat settings, and timing how long it took to style my hair. Trying the tool on both wet and dry hair, I considered how slick my hair looked when styled straight and how long waves stayed in my hair when curly.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews: Senior shopping writer Daisy Lester has been covering beauty at The Independent for the past five years. She’s an expert on everything from fake tan to bronzing drops, SPF and the latest and greatest hair styling tools. From Benefit and Jones Road make-up to Refy skincare, Daisy has reviewed countless products and will always offer her honest opinions to help you find the beauty products worth buying.
