Shark's SilkiPro Straight made my curly hair shine bright – I just wish it was easier to use

29 Apr 2026, 13:47 by https://www.techradar.com/uk/author/victoria-woollaston · TechRadar

TechRadar Verdict

The Shark SilkiPro Straight is a well-priced, well-equipped wet-to-dry flat iron that's one of the best stylers I've tried for curly and coily hair. It takes a lot of getting used to, and the motion-sensing auto-pause is more irritating than helpful, but the results are impressive. Its three-comb system sets it apart from every rival in the category, and at £249.99 / $249.99, it undercuts competitors by a significant margin, too. Fine or straight hair types are unlikely to get the full value from it, but for anyone who currently treats drying and straightening as two separate tasks, it makes a strong case.

Pros

+Best value in the wet-to-dry category
+Three combs included
+Great results on curly and coily hair
+Automatic heat sensing in wet mode designed to protect hair
+Heat-resistant case included (UK)

Cons

-Takes practice to use correctly
-Auto-pause disrupts the rhythm
-Slower than separate tools
-Overkill for fine or straight hair

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Shark SilkiPro Straight review: two-minute review

The Shark SilkiPro Straight is a wet-to-dry hair straightener that combines a dryer fan, ceramic plates and three interchangeable combs in a single product. It launched in February 2026 and costs £249.99 in the UK and $249.99 in the US.

At this price, it's the most affordable entry in the growing wet-to-dry styler category. It's significantly cheaper than the GHD Duet Style at £379 / $429 and the Dyson Airstrait at £449.99 / $499.99, plus it's the only one of the three to include a range of attachments and accessories as standard.

It isn't the most intuitive styler. The grip takes some getting used to, and the location of the combs requires some deliberate – at times awkward – positioning. Working in small sections is non-negotiable if you want a consistent finish or you don't want to trap your hair and pull it out with each pass.

If you can get past this, though, the results are great. The SilkiPro consistently made my fine, mid-length, naturally curly hair look shiny and frizz-free when used in Wet mode. This mode is designed to dry and straighten your hair straight from the shower.

It's not the fastest entrant in our best hair dryer list, taking as long as 8.5 minutes for a standard styling session. As a result, it's unlikely to save you a lot of time compared to drying and straightening separately, but it is more convenient. Dry mode works well enough as a finishing step, but it's technically a glorified ceramic straightener, and a large, awkward, and clunky one at that.

The three interchangeable combs are where the SilkiPro really earns its crust, especially if you have curly or coily hair. The wide-tooth comb rough-dries and detangles from the roots on very wet hair; the gentle comb gives a softer, more natural straight; the precision comb delivers a sleek, flat finish. No competitor offers anything like this, and it feels like a feature designed with natural hair in mind, rather than an afterthought.

Elsewhere, the Shark SilkiPro's motion-sensing auto-pause, which cuts airflow after three seconds when you stop moving, is useful in theory but annoying in practice. It interrupts the rhythm, and the constant shift in noise levels as the airflow speeds up, slows down, and stops gets old quickly. At 70dB on high, it's obviously louder than a non-airflow straightener but quieter than a full-power hairdryer.

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