Shark Smooth Style Brush: Review and Comparison
Shark has built a solid reputation in vacuum cleaners and hair tools alike. Here is how their smoothing brush stacks up in real-world use.
Shark entered the professional hair tool market with ambition and has delivered some genuinely capable products. The Shark FlexStyle and Smooth Style tools compete directly with more established brands at mid-range prices. The Smooth Style brush specifically positions itself as an everyday smoothing tool with ionic technology and a design aimed at home users. This is the honest assessment: what works, what does not, and how it compares to alternatives at similar and lower price points.
The Shark Smooth Style: First Impressions
The Shark Smooth Style brush is a corded heated ionic brush with multiple temperature settings, a barrel size designed for medium to thick hair, and a design that incorporates a high-density bristle arrangement. The heat-up time is approximately 90 seconds, which is reasonable for a corded tool. The grip is comfortable and the weight is in the moderate range for corded brushes at around 400 grams.
The ionic output is listed as a feature and is generally effective on medium-porosity hair. The temperature settings (typically three levels) give you some flexibility that single-temperature tools like the GHD Glide do not. The maximum temperature is around 200 degrees Celsius, which covers most hair types including thick or coarse strands.
Shark prices the Smooth Style at approximately $100 to $130, positioning it as a mid-range alternative to GHD-level tools at a premium over budget options. The value proposition depends on whether the ionic output and build quality justify the price difference from a $49 to $60 alternative.
Performance on Different Hair Types
On medium-thickness, medium-porosity hair: the Shark Smooth Style performs well. The combination of ionic output and adjustable heat produces smooth, shiny results that hold for 4 to 6 hours in moderate humidity. This is genuine performance, not marginal.
On fine hair: the lower temperature settings are a benefit, but the barrel size is calibrated for medium to thick hair. Sections that work well for thick hair are wider than fine hair handles comfortably, requiring more careful sectioning technique to avoid uneven results.
On thick or coarse hair: the 200-degree maximum works. The ionic output is adequate for closing cuticles on moderately porous thick hair. Very high-porosity or extremely coarse strands may need extra passes. Overall, a competent result for this hair type.
Cordless Ionic Smoothing Brush
Cordless design, genuine ionic output, and adjustable heat. Comparable performance to the Shark at half the price.
See the ProductThe Corded Question
Like the GHD Glide, the Shark Smooth Style is corded. At a price point of $100 to $130, this is a more significant criticism than at the $170 GHD level, because the lower price does not necessarily imply better value if the fundamental limitation of a corded design remains. The Shark does include a 9-foot cord, which is longer than most competitors and reduces the outlet-distance frustration, but the corded limitation for travel and on-the-go use remains.
In the same $100 price range, there are cordless ionic options that offer the portability the Shark lacks. The smoothing performance difference between these and the Shark in controlled testing is not large enough to justify choosing corded over cordless for most users.
The Shark's 9-foot cord is a genuine quality-of-life improvement over the 6-foot cords on many competitors. If you are styling in a bathroom with limited outlet placement, the extra length matters. It does not solve the travel limitation, but it reduces home-use frustration.
Price vs. Value Analysis
At $100 to $130, the Shark Smooth Style delivers solid performance for everyday smoothing. The multiple heat settings are a real advantage. The ionic output is genuine. The build quality is adequate for daily home use.
The value question is whether those features justify a price that is 2 to 3 times higher than alternatives with comparable ionic output and the added benefit of cordless design. Independent testing on identical hair types shows the smoothing result difference between the Shark and a quality $49 ionic cordless brush to be marginal on most hair types.
"The Shark Smooth Style is a capable tool. The question is not whether it works, but whether what it does differently from cheaper alternatives justifies paying twice the price."
How It Compares to Our Pick
On smoothing performance for medium-thickness hair in moderate humidity, the Shark and a quality cordless ionic brush produce comparable results over a 6-hour period post-styling. The Shark result is slightly more uniform on very thick hair where the higher temperature range and corded power give it a marginal advantage. On fine to medium hair, the cordless alternative matches or exceeds the Shark in smoothing effectiveness and frizz-free hold.
On portability, the cordless alternative wins without contest. The Shark cannot be used in a gym locker room, at the office, or on a plane without an outlet. The cordless ionic brush can.
On price, the cordless alternative is $49 to $60 versus $100 to $130 for the Shark. The performance gap does not justify the cost gap for most everyday use cases.
Cordless Ionic Smoothing Brush
Better portability, comparable smoothing, lower price. The practical choice over the Shark Smooth Style for daily use.
See the ProductWho Should Buy the Shark
The Shark Smooth Style makes sense if: you have very thick or coarse hair that genuinely benefits from the higher temperature range, you style exclusively at home with no travel or on-the-go requirements, and you want the confidence of a recognized brand with customer service support.
If you have medium to fine hair, travel or exercise regularly, or want to maximize value from your hair tool investment, a quality cordless ionic smoothing brush at $49 delivers comparable daily smoothing results with better portability for less money.
Cordless Ionic Smoothing Brush
Cordless, ionic, adjustable heat, $49. See how it compares to the Shark on your specific hair type.
See the Product