Shark FlexStyle HD446UK Review: £210 Under an Airwrap, but Do the Curls Last?
The FlexStyle Shark UK sells today is the HD446UK — the 5-in-1 in black with a storage case, £269.99 on Shark’s own site on 9 October 2026. The HD440UK that most reviews and search results still name is no longer on Shark’s UK haircare page, although Argos still lists its stone twin, the HD440SLUK, at £225. Both come with the same five attachments. The Dyson Airwrap i.d. it is always compared with was £479.99 at Dyson when we last checked it.
Where the reviews line up
There is no Which? test of this styler that we could see, so the evidence comes from three places. TechRadar ran an editorial test with three testers and re-reviewed it in March 2025. A Mumsnet thread deals with the most common complaint. And the rating blocks at Argos and Currys add 340 ratings between them, with the sample sizes published. They agree on more than they disagree.
Three things come up everywhere. It dries fast. TechRadar’s fine-haired tester was dry in 2 minutes 47 seconds with the dryer alone, which TechRadar puts on a par with Dyson’s original Supersonic. The paddle brush is the best attachment. TechRadar calls it excellent, and T3’s tester named it her favourite. And the hinged handle is the clever part. It turns from a straight styler into a conventional hair dryer, which the Airwrap cannot do.
Two honest caveats. The curls drop. TechRadar’s three testers, T3’s tester, four posters in the Mumsnet thread and Argos reviewers all say so. That is how air stylers work: they use far less heat than tongs or a straightener. And you swap barrels to change curl direction, where the Airwrap i.d. has a switch.
Should you buy it? Buy it if you want a fast dryer that also does a smooth blow-dry and soft waves, and you don’t want to pay Airwrap money. If you want curls that last all day from a curling tool, buy tongs or a straightener. Look at the price too. Argos had the older HD440SLUK at £225 (from £300) on the day we checked, £45 less than Shark’s own price for the HD446UK.
The three reviews this summary is built from
- TechRadarEditorial test of the UK model by three testers, first reviewed October 2022, re-reviewed March 2025. 3.5 out of 5.
- Mumsnet“Shark curls just won’t stay in!”, March 2025, 10 replies. Four posters say the curls drop.
- Argos & Currys4.4/5 from 302 (HD440SLUK, 85% recommend) and 4.8/5 from 38 (HD446SLUK), both checked 9 October 2026.
Before the review: which FlexStyle are you being sold?
The FlexStyle name now covers a family of products. HD440UK and HD440SLUK are the original 5-in-1 with case. Shark UK no longer lists them, but Argos still does. HD446UK (black) and HD446SLUK (stone) are the current 5-in-1 with case, reviewed here. Shark shows the stone as out of stock, and Currys still sells it. HD456CRUK and HD486UKBL are colour or 6-in-1 editions. The newer FlexStyle Next Gen IonCurl is a different styler at £269.99 to £299.99 (HD840UKPU, HD850UKPK, HD851UKPK). The FlexFusion Straight is a different product again. It adds heated ceramic straightening plates and launched at £369.99 in October 2024. It was not on Shark UK’s haircare page when we checked, but Costco listed it as HD625SUK. If a listing doesn’t give a model number, you can’t tell which of these you are buying.
Specification at a glance
| Spec | Figure | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| In the box (HD446UK) | Styler, paddle brush, oval brush, two Auto-Wrap curlers (left and right barrel), styling concentrator, curl-defining diffuser, storage case, style guide | Shark UK product page; Argos lists the same kit for the HD440SLUK |
| Power | Three different figures: 1,650 W · 1,600 W · 1,400 W | 1,650 W: Shark (HD446UK) and Currys (HD446SLUK). 1,600 W: TechRadar (UK model). 1,400 W: Argos (HD440SLUK) and T3 |
| Heat and speed | 3 heat, 3 speed, cool shot; maximum 95 °C | Argos and Currys. Shark says “3 customisable heat and airflow settings” |
| Heat control | Measures air temperature 1,000 times a second | Shark’s claim, not tested by anyone we found |
| Auto-Wrap | Coanda airflow pulls hair round the barrel; one barrel per curl direction | Shark; TechRadar and T3 confirm you swap barrels |
| Weight | 661 g with attachment · “just under 700 g” · 700 g · about 1.5 lb (680 g) without attachments | T3 weighed it; Argos and John Lewis; Currys; TechRadar. Shark’s page says 3.6 kg, which looks like the boxed weight |
| Cable | 2.44 m swivel cord | Argos, Currys and John Lewis. TechRadar finds it “a little short” with a bulky power pack |
| Running cost | About 7p for 10 minutes at full power | Our sum: 1.65 kW × 10 min at 26.32p/kWh (Ofgem cap, October 2026) |
| Guarantee | 2 years. Currys says the second year needs registration; Shark says “up to 2-year guarantee” | Shark, Currys, Argos, John Lewis |
| Price | £269.99 at Shark (HD446UK) · £269.97 at Currys (HD446SLUK) · £225 at Argos (HD440SLUK, from £300) | All checked 9 October 2026 |
| Dyson Airwrap i.d. | £479.99 at Dyson · £399.99 at Argos | From our Airwrap i.d. review, checked 5 October 2026 |
TechRadar
Who they are: TechRadar’s Collections Editor, Ruth Hamilton has reviewed and written about products since 2020, covering robot vacuums, hair stylers, outdoor kit and mattresses — so hair stylers sit squarely inside her regular testing beat.
Who they are: Victoria (Vicky) Woollaston is a freelance TechRadar contributor and founder of science-led health, beauty and grooming sites, covering beauty gadgets and small appliances with more than a decade in online and print journalism — beauty tech is her core specialism.
Who they are: Jennifer Oksien is editor of Top Ten Reviews and was formerly TechRadar’s Homes Editor, writing about TV and audio, homewares, smart home kit and small and large appliances — a seasoned home-tech editor adding a third test.
This is the most thorough test we found. Three testers with different hair types used it, and TechRadar went back to it in 2025 after first reviewing it in October 2022. The drying result is the headline. The fine-haired tester was dry in 2 minutes 47 seconds using the dryer alone, which TechRadar puts on a par with Dyson’s original Supersonic. The paddle brush is rated excellent. The handle is called balanced and comfortable, and the build solid. TechRadar says the Auto-Wrap barrels work much like the Airwrap’s.
The criticisms are the ones you will meet again below. Curls dropped faster than curls from a traditional tong for all three testers, though curls on day-old, thick, straight hair lasted longer. You have to swap barrels to change curl direction. TechRadar also finds the cord a little short and the power pack bulky. It says the Airwrap feels more premium and that the curl results are very similar. TechRadar quotes a UK list price of £269.99, which is what Shark charges for the HD446UK today.
For context rather than as one of our three sources: T3 tested the stone FlexStyle in April 2023. Joanna Ebsworth weighed it at 661 g with an attachment and got thick, long hair to about 80% dry in under three minutes. She found it noticeably louder than most hair dryers and the buttons awkwardly placed, and her curls dropped even with mousse and hairspray. She still gave it a T3 Recommends award.
Watch: Shark FlexStyle Review
A general hands-on review to watch alongside TechRadar’s test. The listing does not say which region’s model is shown, so it may be a US or earlier version. Confirmed from the search listing, not fetched: see the caveat box below.
Watch on YouTube ↗ Independent YouTube video — not made by or for Shopbam.Mumsnet
Who they are: Mumsnet Talk is the site’s open discussion forum, where parents post their own experience of products; posts are unverified owner opinion, so the value lies in patterns repeated across many threads rather than in any single post.
This is a short thread, but it is about the complaint every source raises. The original poster says the round brush gives a good result and the curls look great at first, then drop straight away. She tried wet, almost-dry and dry hair, mousse, hairspray and the cool shot. She and her daughter both have thick hair with some wave, and both hold a curl from a straightener or a wand. One reply had the same result: mousse, a setting spray and a whole can of Elnett still gave waves rather than curls.
The most useful reply explains why. Tools like the FlexStyle and the Airwrap are blow-dry tools, the poster says. They use less heat than tongs, so they won’t set a curl the same way. Two others blame the hair rather than the tool, one pointing at fine, very straight hair. Counting the original poster, four people in the thread say the curls drop or won’t last. The one practical fix offered is to let each curl cool in a Velcro roller before releasing it. Two posts were deleted by Mumsnet, so ten replies overstates how much discussion there is. This doesn’t mean the FlexStyle is faulty, but it is a fair warning about what an air styler can do.
Watch: SHARK FLEXSTYLE AIR TUTORIAL - How to get Shark Flexstyle curls to last for days
A tutorial aimed at exactly the problem this thread describes. The listing does not say which model is shown. Confirmed from the search listing, not fetched.
Watch on YouTube ↗ Independent YouTube video — not made by or for Shopbam.Argos and Currys
Who they are: Argos’s ratings are written by its own shoppers and we could not read its review policy; Currys’ are invited from buyers and moderated by Feefo, with no incentives offered — both are satisfaction scores from customers, not performance tests.
These are customer ratings on the shops that sell the product. The bigger sample is for the older HD440SLUK, with the same five attachments and case, so we report the two separately. Currys’ 38 ratings are for the current stone HD446SLUK, and Currys showed no review text when we looked.
The Argos reviews say it is versatile, dries thick hair quickly, feels light and is quieter than some owners’ previous dryers. People also say it smooths well and brings out natural curl, and some find the Auto-Wrap curlers work well. The complaints echo the experts. Curls fall out quickly, especially on hair that doesn’t hold heat styling. It takes practice. Some find the large blow-dry barrels don’t do much, some find it noisy, and owners who already had a good dryer got less from the dryer function. Argos also points out two limits. There is no straightening setting, though the brushes give a smooth blow-dry. And it can’t be used with a voltage converter abroad.
Watch: SHARK FLEXSTYLE CURLS TUTORIAL - NEW VIRAL DYSON AIRWRAP DUPE!
A curling tutorial that shows the barrel swap and technique buyers say takes practice. The listing does not say which model is shown. Confirmed from the search listing, not fetched.
Watch on YouTube ↗ Independent YouTube video — not made by or for Shopbam.Strengths and weak points
What holds up
- Fast drying, on a par with Dyson’s original Supersonic in TechRadar’s test.
- The handle turns into a normal hair dryer, which the Airwrap can’t do.
- The paddle brush gets the most praise for a smooth blow-dry.
- A curl-defining diffuser and a storage case are in the box.
- The list price is about £210 below the Airwrap i.d. at Dyson.
- About 7p for ten minutes at full power, by our sum.
What people complain about
- Curls drop faster than from tongs. Every source says so.
- You swap barrels to change curl direction.
- Getting good Auto-Wrap curls takes practice.
- Louder than most dryers in T3’s test. Argos owners are split on noise.
- Awkward button placement (T3), and a short cord with a bulky power pack (TechRadar).
- Shark, TechRadar and Argos give three different power figures.
Who it actually suits
Buy it if you want one tool that dries quickly, does a smooth blow-dry and gives soft waves or volume, especially on thick or wavy hair. It also makes sense if the Airwrap price puts you off and you want a diffuser. If the Argos HD440SLUK price is still on, that kit costs £45 less than Shark’s own price for the newer one.
Look elsewhere if you need curls that last all day on fine, straight hair. Our ghd Platinum+ review covers a straightener that also curls. If you mostly want fast drying, the Shark SpeedStyle costs less. If you want the curl-direction switch and a more premium feel, read our Dyson Airwrap i.d. review before paying the extra.
What we could not check
- The real power rating. Shark and Currys say 1,650 W for the HD446, TechRadar says 1,600 W for the UK model, and Argos and T3 say 1,400 W. We can’t tell whether the HD446 has a different motor from the HD440 or whether one figure is simply wrong. Our running-cost sum uses the highest figure.
- What changed from the HD440 to the HD446. Shark doesn’t explain it. The attachments and case listed are the same.
- Stock at Shark. The HD446UK page shows a price and a quantity box, but also a “back in stock” sign-up. Currys showed the HD446SLUK available for delivery.
- Noise. Nobody published a decibel figure. T3 found it louder than most dryers, and Argos owners are divided.
- The 3.6 kg weight on Shark’s page. We think it is the boxed weight, but Shark lists it as product weight.
- Independent lab testing. We found no Which? result we could see and no measured airflow figure.
- The videos were confirmed by search listing, not by opening them. YouTube was blocked when we checked. We confirmed each video by finding the exact link and title in two differently worded searches. The listings did not name the channels or which region’s model is shown.
- Argos review text is summarised from the product page. We did not count individual reviews by theme.
Sources and prices last checked 9 October 2026. Air styler prices move with promotions, so check the listing in front of you before ordering, and check the model number on the box.