Shark style iQ
Buy now £229, Johnlewis.com
- Attachments: Diffuser, concentrator
- Number of heat settings: 3
- Number of air flow settings: 3
- Cool shot: Yes
- Cord length: 2.5m
- Weight: 730g
- Wattage: 1,600W
- Rating: 8/10
Branching out to the haircare industry with a bang, Shark has launched its all-new hair dryer. And we were one of the first to get our hands on it. As an ionic tool, it promises to dry hair with minimal damage by distributing the heat in a more even way.
PackagingOn first impressions, the packaging of the Shark style iQ was similar to what you’d expect from a more budget-friendly tool, and considering the price tag, we were a little disappointed. Within the box, you’ll find the dryer and two attachments (diffuser and concentrator), but unlike the Dyson, you won’t receive a storage box.
DesignThe hair tool is compact and ergonomic. It fits comfortably into the hand, and at just 730g it is one of the lightest hair dryers we’ve used, rivalled only by Dyson’s supersonic.
Much like the Dyson, the heat and airflow buttons are situated on the barrel, while the power switch is on the handle – this means you’re unlikely to accidentally switch buttons mid-way through a blow-dry. A definite bonus.
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The easy-to-use tool has three different heat and airflow settings – low, medium and high – which can easily be changed, with an LED light illuminating the setting you’re using.
The feature that gives the Shark style iQ the edge over the Dyson is the way the attachments work with the dryer. It recognises which attachment you’re using and automatically adjusts the temperature and airflow settings accordingly for the best results.
When using the concentrator, for example, you’ll notice the dryer changes to high airflow and high temperature, while the diffuser alters these settings to low. This takes the guesswork out of blowdrying your hair, which we found to be really useful. But if you do want to experiment with the different options, you can manually adjust the settings too. A nice touch.
PerformanceBoth attachments are magnetic – the concentrator attached without any problems, but we did find the diffuser a little more temperamental. For best results when testing both hair tools, we towel-dried our hair and loosely blowdried before starting.
Another standout feature is that you can adjust the airflow of the concentrator attachment. You can choose between two modes: pre-styling, which opens up the nozzle for a wider airpath and a more gentle all-over dry; and a precision styling mode that makes for a narrower, more targeted airpath for a sleeker, straightened look.
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The concentrator did a great job of giving us a bouncy blow-dry, particularly when we used the pre-style mode to begin before following with the precision styling option. We also used the Boots tufted bristle radial brush (£8, Boots.com) to help give it extra volume.
When compared to when we leave our hair to air dry or use a more budget-friendly dryer, the style iQ did make our hair visibly more smooth and shiny. This is down to the fact it is an ionic tool, which means it gives off a negative ionic charge that counters the positive ionic charges in your damaged cuticles. Essentially, this means the heat is distributed more evenly and seals the strands of hair to help retain moisture.
Similarly to the concentrator attachment, you can customise the diffuser for your hair type – the prongs can be retracted for shorter hair and extended for longer, thicker hair. This design means you have greater control over how you style your locks and is a feature that not many other diffusers have.
But unfortunately, during testing, we found that the diffuser didn’t attach very easily. This meant we had to hold the accessory in place. However, it did still do a good job of drying our thick, curly hair from root to tip, and really helped keep our curls looking more defined.
We were most impressed with was how quickly it managed to dry our hair, and how quiet it was.