The mane attraction: Shark Glossi blows the hair dryer competition away

If I had to pick one hair tool to use for the rest of my life, it would have to be something that could actually replace a few steps in my routine.

The Shark Glossi 2-in-1 Hot Tool & Air Glosser does exactly that, combining a blow-dryer brush, heated ceramic styling plates and high-speed airflow in one tool. As the winner of our Made It Here 2026 award for best hair dryer, it beat out five other top hair stylers by delivering fast, effective drying and versatile styling across different hair types and textures, while remaining easy and comfortable to use. 

Our team tested it on tight curls, wavy and fine hair and a variety of lengths. The Glossi proved to be an easy-to-use option that took damp hair to smooth and glossy without requiring a separate round brush or additional tools.. More importantly, our blowouts held out the entirety of our day.

See our full testing criteria

This savvy tool combines airflow and heated ceramic styling plates in a single tool. A combination of boar bristles and high heat capacity nylon bristles detangles, smooths and adds shine by evenly distributing the hair’s natural oils.

Its teardrop-shaped head is designed to get closer to the roots, while Wet Mode handles the initial drying and Dry Mode can be used to refresh already-dry hair. The device also measures temperature 1,000 times per second to regulate its heat output, making this ideal for those concerned about minimizing damage.

Power: 1,300W | Attachments: Integrated styling head; no separate attachments | Cord length: 72 inches | Weight: 1.63 lbs. | Cool shot: No dedicated button | Ion technology: Yes* | Travel case: No | App: No | Number of heat/speed settings: 3 heat / 3 speed | Warranty: 2 years

Our Review

I went into testing the Glossi with a pretty high bar.

After testing dozens of hair tools, I’ve become very particular about blow dryers. I notice when the heat feels unnecessarily intense, when the airflow is too weak, when a brush catches or pulls and — perhaps most importantly — when a tool technically dries my hair but still leaves me reaching for a flat iron afterward.

So, naturally, I was curious to see whether the Glossi could deliver on its 2-in-1 promise.

One thing that stood out was that the Glossi works differently from a traditional blow-dryer brush. Many blow-dryer brushes use heated airflow to dry and shape hair at the same time, combining two styling steps into one. The Glossi takes a different approach, pairing airflow with heated ceramic plates that smooth the hair as it dries.

That combination speeds up the styling process while giving hair a smoother, more polished finish.

“This is an instant LOVE, and undoubtedly the winner for me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my hair shiner or smoother — and it only took about 8 minutes every time,” Brooke Parker, commerce partnerships associate and blow-dryer tester, shared. “It was simple to use from the second I turned it on, and the glossy finish results held up the entire day.”

I was also impressed by the finish. My hair came out smooth and shiny with plenty of body; it was polished in that just-left-the-salon kind of way, but without looking overly flat or pressed.

Design & Technology

The Glossi has a distinctive teardrop-shaped brush head. Instead of using the round barrel found on many traditional blow-dryer brushes, Shark designed the shape so the user can get closer to the roots while still giving enough surface area to work through larger sections.

The brush combines nylon and boar bristles, which work together to detangle, grip and smooth hair as you style. On the opposite side, heated ceramic plates help smooth the hair while airflow moves through the brush to dry it. Together, the bristles, airflow and ceramic plates allow the Glossi to dry and style hair in one step.

That design makes the Glossi feel more like a hybrid between a blow-dryer brush and a heated smoothing tool than a conventional hot-air brush.

And then there’s the temperature control. Shark says the Glossi measures its temperature 1,000 times per second and adjusts the heat as needed during wet-to-dry styling. That matters because the goal isn’t just to get hot; it’s to keep the heat from getting unnecessarily high or uneven as you style. I paid attention to how consistent the heat felt during testing, since hotter isn’t automatically better for your hair.

Compared to other blow-dry brushes, which can leave hair looking fried or overly dry, the Glossi takes a more controlled approach to heat by measuring its temperature 1,000 times per second and adjusting it as needed during wet-to-dry styling.  

“The Shark was a standout for its powerful airflow and super-fast drying time,” shared Georgie Olmeda, commerce partnerships manager, who has 3A type curls. It cut my usual 2.5-hour curl-to-straight routine down to about 75 minutes on my first test and 70 minutes by my third. It left my hair shiny, smooth and with sealed-looking ends.”

Styling modes

Wet Mode

Wet Mode is where I used the Glossi most.

I started with damp hair and used the brush to dry and smooth sections as I worked through them. I found that the combination of airflow and brush tension gave me enough control to stretch the hair while drying, while the ceramic plates helped polish the finish.

Dry Mode

Dry Mode is designed for styling already-dry hair. The team found this most useful for touch-ups. 

“Middle Eastern curly hair stood no chance against this hairstyling pro tool!” Michelle Moezam, commerce senior social media marketing manager and blow-dryer tester, shared. “I loved how straight it got my hair and with my current hair routine, I personally liked to wait until my hair was about 75% dry to then go in and use the Shark to really silken and define.”

Attachments

There aren’t any attachments.

At first, that may sound like a drawback, especially when so many premium hair tools now come with entire collections of interchangeable heads. But the team decided that the Glossi’s fixed design makes sense.

The tool is built for one specific job: giving a smooth, glossy blowout.

Of course, that also means it isn’t the right choice if you want one device to give curls, a diffuser-style finish and a traditional blowout. That’s where a multi-styler has the advantage.

App

There is no app, and none of the testers missed having one. 

The Glossi keeps the controls directly on the tool, with Wet and Dry modes and heat and airflow controls. For a blow-dryer-focused device, everyone preferred having everything within reach rather than adding another connected feature to the routine.

Ease of Use

This is one of my favorite things about the Glossi.

I’ve tested plenty of hot-air brushes that feel bulky after I’ve been holding them over my head for several minutes. The Glossi weighs 1.63 pounds, and I found the shape relatively easy to maneuver.

The teardrop brush also provides control, allowing you to get closer to the roots for volume and easier styling. 

“For me, Shark was the clear winner — my hair rarely ever holds its shape after blow-drying,” Miska Salemann, commerce reporter and blow-dryer tester, said. “But the Shark proved to be powerful, and the slightly more compact design made styling feel much easier and more intuitive. The heat settings were spot-on, and somehow my hair felt smoother and looked shinier after a morning blow-drying session.”

There is a technique to it. If you move too quickly through a section, you’re not going to get the same smooth result as when you slow down and let the brush and plates work through the hair. But once you got into the rhythm, the process felt intuitive — and the Glossi does.

Comparison Between the Winner and Similar Products in the Market

After testing so many hair tools, I don’t think the Glossi should be compared only with other top blow dryers. Its closest competition depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.

Shark Glossi vs. Shark SpeedStyle

The SpeedStyle is a better choice if you want a traditional high-velocity dryer with interchangeable finishing attachments.

The Glossi is better if you want to simplify the actual blowout. Its brush is built into the styling experience, so you’re drying and smoothing simultaneously.

Shark Glossi vs. Shark FlexStyle

The FlexStyle is much more versatile.

It can dry, curl, smooth and create different finishes depending on which attachments are used. That’s a major advantage if you like changing up your hairstyle.

But I’ve tested enough multi-stylers to know that versatility isn’t always the same thing as convenience. 

Shark Glossi vs. Dyson Airwrap

The Dyson Airwrap is still the more versatile option for creating curls, waves, volume and multiple different hairstyles.

But the Glossi costs substantially less and is more practical.

If your signature hairstyle is a sleek, voluminous blowout, you don’t necessarily need the Airwrap’s entire styling arsenal. The Glossi gives me a more direct route to the finish I actually wear.

Shark Glossi vs. a Traditional Blow-Dryer Brush

There are plenty of inexpensive blow-dryer brushes that can dry and smooth hair. I’ve tested many of them, and some are impressive. 

The Glossi justifies its premium price by adding ceramic-plate technology, controlled heat and dry-hair functionality. I could feel that difference when styling because the tool wasn’t simply blowing hot air through my hair. It was actively helping smooth the hair as I worked through each section.

For someone who already owns a blow-dryer brush they love, I wouldn’t automatically tell them to upgrade.

For someone shopping for a premium blow-dryer brush for the first time, however, the Glossi is one of the more compelling options.

Price

The Shark Glossi has a list price of $179.99, although I’ve seen it discounted depending on the retailer and sale period.

At $179.99, you’re paying more than you would for a basic blow-dryer brush. But you’re also getting more technology and a tool that can take over several steps of your normal routine.

Is it worth it?

Yes — especially if a polished blowout is one of my go-to hairstyles.

Of all the hair dryers for our Made It Here awards, and the Glossi stood out as the best — not because it has the most attachments or the most complicated technology, but because it delivers a faster, long-lasting blowout. 

After testing the Glossi, our team agreed it was one of the most efficient and straightforward styling tools in the bunch, delivering the kind of hair most people want: smooth, shiny and frizz-free.

“It usually takes me forever and two to three different tools to get my hair looking this styled,” Olmeda noted. “The fact that this delivers a true salon-quality finish so quickly makes the price tag feel like a steal.”

I wouldn’t choose it over a full multi-styler if I wanted to spend most of my time creating curls and waves. And if you already have a blow-dryer brush that delivers a finish you love, you don’t need to rush out and replace it.

But if your goal is fast, smooth, shiny hair with as few tools as possible, the Shark Glossi is absolutely worth considering.

After everything I’ve learned from years of testing blow dryers, heat settings and styling tools, I’ve become pretty skeptical of products that promise to reinvent the blowout. The Glossi doesn’t need to reinvent it.

It just makes the process considerably easier.

How we tested

• Heat settings accuracy: We checked whether each heat setting delivered a consistent, appropriate temperature. Settings that ran significantly hotter or cooler than expected could affect both drying performance and hair health.
• Airflow strength: We evaluated the force and direction of the airflow, since strong, well-controlled air can speed up drying without relying on excessive heat.
• Temperature consistency over time: We monitored heat throughout extended use to see whether temperatures remained stable or fluctuated enough to create uneven styling or potential overheating.
• Weight and ergonomics: We assessed how comfortable each dryer was to hold, maneuver, and use for a full styling session, paying attention to balance, grip, button placement, and hand fatigue.
• Noise level: We measured how loud each dryer was during operation and considered whether its sound was distracting or unpleasant for regular use.
• Build quality and durability: We inspected the materials, controls, connections, and overall construction to determine whether each dryer felt capable of withstanding frequent use and the occasional accidental drop.
• Attachment effectiveness: We tested included concentrators, diffusers, and other attachments to see whether they meaningfully improved styling and performed their intended functions without being difficult to attach, remove, or position.
• Frizz control and finish quality: After drying, we evaluated hair for smoothness, shine, flyaways, and overall polish. A strong performer should leave hair looking finished rather than simply dry.
• Cool shot performance: We tested whether the cool-shot function produced a noticeable reduction in temperature and delivered enough cold air to help set a finished style.
• Energy efficiency: We considered power consumption in relation to drying performance, looking for models that delivered strong results without requiring excessive energy.
• Cord length and flexibility: We assessed cord length, flexibility, and maneuverability, including whether the cord became cumbersome or prone to tangling during use.
• Safety features: We checked for features such as overheat protection, thermal safeguards, and automatic shutoff, as well as how accessible and intuitive those protections were during everyday use.
• Ease of maintenance: We evaluated how easy it was to access and clean the filter and other maintenance points, since regular cleaning can help preserve airflow and extend the dryer’s useful life.
• Portability and storage: We considered overall size, weight, foldability, and how easily each model could be packed away or stored between uses.
• Performance in humid, real-world commuting conditions (NYC weather!): We put each blowout through our real-world morning and evening testing routine, evaluating how well the style held up after exposure to humidity, wind, sweat, and rapid indoor-to-outdoor temperature changes. Because humid air can cause hair to take on moisture and lose its freshly styled shape, we looked specifically for frizz, loss of smoothness, and changes in volume or definition throughout the day.

This article was written by Victoria McDonnell, New York Post Commerce Journalist & Content Strategist, who has spent countless hours researching, testing hundreds of products and comparing the latest makeup, skincare, hair and beauty items and trends to determine what’s truly worth your hard-earned cash. She evaluates formulas, textures, ingredients and more, in addition to consulting medical and industry experts. Some of Victoria’s latest conquests include testing the best sheet masks on the market, and a rinse-and-repeat review of the best shampoos for all hair types and budgets. Victoria, who received a beauty industry essentials certification from the Fashion Institute of Technology, has been creating shopping guides for the New York Post since 2021 and previously held positions at Insider Reviews and CNN Underscored.