This ‘Smart’ Hair Dryer Dries My Hair Faster With Minimal Heat (And Costs Half the Price of a Dyson AirWrap)

While I wish I was the type of person who looked great with air-dried hair, it’s just not in the cards for me. My wavy-but-not-wavy-enough tendrils do wild and unexpected things when left to their own devices, resulting in a generally unkempt (but not in a cool way) look. Needless to say, my blow dryer and hair straightener are my friends. One downside, however, is that I don’t love how much heat I use to get the look I’m after. That’s why I ended up splurging on one that minimizes the toll it takes on my tired strands with the Shark HyperAir Dryer and IQ Styler ($179).

Shark’s high-end hair dryer combines intelligent heat control and ionized air to speed up drying time and reduce frizz. It also comes with two styling attachments which means I use my other heat styling tools way less. Oh, and it’s half the price of the coveted Dyson hair dryer. I’ve got your attention now, don’t I?

Shark HyperAir Ionic Hair Dryer with IQ Styling Attachments — $180.00

Includes: HyperAir dryer, IQ 2-in-1 Concentrator, IQ Styling Brush, and a cleaning tool. It also comes with a two-year limited warranty.

Pros: 

• Quick drying time
• Automatically adjusts speed and temperature depending on which of the two styling attachments you use
• Not cheap but not as expensive as other models (Dyson)
• Not super loud

Cons: 

• Cord is clunky
• Doesn’t come with a diffuser

What is the Shark HyperAir?

This sleek, efficient hair dryer from Shark features three levels of heat, three blow speeds, and a cool-shot button. It comes with two attachments: a styler, which toggles between a wide and narrow opening for two levels of precision styling, and a brush attachment, which helps smooth your hair as it dries. It also comes with a little cleaning brush to help keep the back panel free of dust and debris (this is actually important to keep the device running smoothly!).

The HyperAir Dryer uses hot air and ionized air, meaning it’s charged with negative ions. While negative ions are a relatively buzzy health topic (most research revolves around their impact on air quality), there’s not a lot of science around the benefits of ionized air for hair. Still, the idea is that these negative ions help prevent static and frizz. Yes, please.

More importantly, the Shark HyperAir aims to evenly distribute heat and air along your strands for a quicker dry. The dryer automatically senses which attachment you’re using (or lack thereof) and adjusts the airflow and temperature to offer the most efficient setting. In other words, the HyperAir wants to get your hair out of the heat ASAP to keep it happy and healthy.

My review of the Shark HyperAir IQ hair dryer

Ease of use

Connecting the different attachments is super easy. They pop right onto the front of the dryer with a satisfying click that lets you know you did it right. Best of all, the HyperAir automatically adjusts the temperature and speed of the dryer to match the type of attachment. The cool-shot button is easy to reach, but I have to say I don’t use it very often because I’m impatient and it takes just a smidge too long for the cool air to kick in.

Size and weight

The HyperAir weighs a little under two pounds, so while it’s heavier than my old Revlon dryer, I wouldn’t say it’s heavy. It’s pretty compact (I have small hands and it doesn’t feel big to me) and feels evenly balanced (not top-heavy). The power cord is substantial, though. If you’re someone who prefers a hair dryer with a retractible or low-profile cord, this bad boy might cramp your style. I use a velcro tie to keep my cord looped up when not in use and it’s totally fine.

Noise level

The Shark HyperAir isn’t significantly quieter than my old dryer, but it’s also not super loud. It sounds… like a nice hair dryer, if that makes sense. Compared to the high-pitched scream of a cheap, stuck-to-the-wall hotel hair dryer, it’s relatively enjoyable.

Styling

I won’t claim to be a pro hair stylist by a long shot, but I feel like the HyperAir takes my amateur skills and zhuzhes them up a bit. I typically dry my hair about 75 percent of the way using the pre-style mode on the precision attachment, then finish it off with the brush attachment which helps give my hair a soft, blowout-style curl. The entire process (pictured below) takes me under 10 minutes. Boom.

The Shark HyperAir IQ hair dryer: final thoughts

As far as value goes, I can’t imagine getting a better result from a more expensive dryer. Sure, spending almost $200 on a hair dryer is still a good chunk of change, but the HyperAir does everything I need (dries faster with less heat, comes with styling attachments that help me skip my straightener most days) and is a nice-looking, easy-to-use device. I will say, the attachments work great for my wavy-ish straight hair. However, if you have curly hair and need a diffuser, you’ll need to buy that separately (for an additional $34). All in all, I’ve never liked a hair dryer as much as I like my HyperAir IQ—and neither has my hair.