The Shark FlexStyle earned its spot through sheer versatility that no competitor matches at this price. It transforms from a concentrated hair dryer into a curling wand, paddle brush, and oval brush by twisting the handle, covering every styling need with a single tool. Janelle Mariss returned her Dyson Airwrap after testing the FlexStyle, calling Dyson's $300 premium completely unjustifiable when the Shark delivered identical blowout volume and quality.
Consumer Betterment and TechShare both highlighted the FlexStyle's intelligent temperature monitoring (1,000 readings per second) that adapts heat output to prevent damage, something you'd expect from Dyson territory but not at $299. The Coanda airflow tech on the curler attachments wraps hair automatically without wrestling strands around a barrel.
Where other multi-stylers force tradeoffs between drying power and styling precision, the FlexStyle delivers both. Project Farm's testing shows traditional dryers still dry faster (the Remington beat it on raw airflow speed), but for the buyer who wants one tool that dries, curls, and smooths, nothing else combines this range of capabilities at this price.
What It Won't Do
The metal attachments get dangerously hot during use. Janelle Mariss warned about burning ears and scorching jewelry, and she found her hair ends felt "crispy" and dry after styling, requiring a leave-in oil to fix. The curling attachments also don't hold ringlets. Curls drop into a softer blowout wave within hours, which means dedicated curl lovers should look elsewhere. The Dyson Airwrap holds tighter curls longer, for double the price.
At $22, the Remington D3190 has no business competing with $400+ dryers, but Project Farm's data tells a different story. In a controlled towel-drying test, the Remington tied the $430 Dyson Supersonic for first place, removing moisture until less than 5% remained. On a human-hair mannequin, it finished second overall, drying hair to 20.3% moisture in just 90 seconds.
Its air velocity hit 30.1 mph on high, outblowing competitors three to ten times its price. The ceramic, ionic, and tourmaline coating isn't marketing fluff either: viewers confirmed noticeably less frizz compared to a basic drugstore dryer at the same price point.
For a buyer whose primary need is fast, powerful drying without multi-styling attachments, the Remington punches so far above its weight class that spending more on a traditional dryer feels wasteful unless you specifically need smart heat features.
What It Won't Do
Project Farm didn't sugarcoat it: the ergonomics are bad. At 800g with no handle balancing or soft-touch grip, extended sessions are a forearm workout. The wattage also falls short of its 1,875W claim, producing only 1,694W on max. And it's a pure dryer: no brushes, no curlers, no styling attachments. If you want anything beyond rough-drying and basic smoothing with a concentrator nozzle, you need separate tools.
Who Should Buy Which
Shark FlexStyle
One tool that dries, curls, and smooths at half the Dyson price
- Anyone who wants one tool to dry, curl, and smooth without juggling multiple devices
- Buyers upgrading from a basic hair dryer who want salon-quality blowouts at home
- People who've considered the Dyson Airwrap but can't justify spending $600+
- Those with varied styling needs across the week (straight Monday, curly Friday)
- Heat-conscious buyers who want 1,000x/second temperature monitoring built in
Remington 1875W D3190
Tied the $430 Dyson in drying tests at 1/20th the price
- Budget-conscious buyers whose primary goal is fast, powerful drying
- People with thick, water-retaining hair that needs massive airflow to get dry
- Buyers who already own separate styling tools and just need a dedicated dryer
- Anyone who wants Project Farm-proven performance for under $25
- Those who rough-dry first and style separately with a curling iron or straightener