Best portable blender 2024: personal blenders for travel and single-serves

Portable blenders – AKA personal blenders – are a perfect buy if you love to blend and drink on the go. They're also a smart choice if tend to make single-serve portions, or if you have a smaller household and don't need a full-size appliance.

We've tested the best personal blenders, including corded and cordless models. We put them through through their paces over dozens of smoothies, sauces, dips and protein shakes. We also take them on daily commutes to see if these blenders are truly portable. 

We also assess everything how easy they are to use, how easy they are to clean, and how easy they are to store, making sure that the compact blenders will free your countertops from clutter. 

While the on-the-go, take-it-to-the-gym portability is the main reason you might want to buy a portable blender, don't think these compact wonders can't do almost everything the best blenders can. Most personal blenders can take on the same blending tasks, just in smaller quantities, which might just suit you perfectly. 

The quick list

Best portable blenders 2024

Best portable blender overall

Newly crowned the best portable blender, Ninja's Blast has just unseated the Cuisinart Evolution X as my favorite portable blender. It has a bigger capacity, liquid measures on the pitcher, it's lighter, smaller, and better value.

Our expert tester Alex used it in our test center and also in his own home for a month and found an excellent blender. It's particularly great at handling powders like protein and creatine and it makes very smooth protein shakes. Blenders of this size are notoriously poor at handling leaves, and while not perfect, it was surprisingly great at processing spinach. We also found that while nowhere near as good as a full-size blender, it was great at crushing ice.

It's easy to use, with a handy system of colored lights around the power button that lets you know when you can use the blender. It's easy to clean – you just add a little dish soap into the blender with water and press start, and it does a pretty good job cleaning up, even if you've left shake residue in there for a couple of hours. It has a blade cap to cover up the blades when the motor housing is uncovered, which is a great safety feature. Alex also liked the screw-on bottom, which means you can take shakes on the go without taking the blades and motor with you. This also passed our commute test.

However, it's definitely not perfect. In our tests, we found that lumps of bigger fruits like frozen strawberries weren't always fully incorporated. Like most portable blenders, it struggles to process seeds. It's also not as good as a full-sized blender for making dips; it made a serviceable hummus, but not a great one. It's also fairly tall, so while it's actually a little more compact than the Evolution X, it's definitely better suited to a backpack than a handbag. 

There's more information in our Ninja Blast review.

Best portable blender for the gym

This blender is great for taking to the gym or on a commute. It's no bigger than a water bottle, and at 3" it fits every standard cup holder. We tested it on a commute for a week and it easily fit into a backpack and remained secure through busy trips on the subway. It's great for tucking into a gym bag.

Better than that, it has pretty great performance. It's relatively good at making smoothies, and BlendJet also have their own brand of BlendJet protein powder. B Because it's so small, you can just shake the bottle to give it a hand as it blends. 

The fact that there's also a pulse setting means you can use it at home to make dips, and power through thicker ingredients. We found that this is great if you've been thinking about buying a food processor but can't afford one, as this blender is great at making pesto. Cleaning is easy, too. Just pour in some water and dish soap and run a blending cycle, or shake. 

However, while it largely did a good job, there were still some blueberry skins and strawberry cores intact. The protein shakes we made were also a little grainy. While the pesto we made was delicious, some of it was stuck under the blades, and because you can't remove these, it was tricky to get this extra sauce out. 

Our BlendJet 2 review has more information.

Best bullet blender

If you're wondering which Nutribullet to buy, this is your best bet. Available in a range of colors and with plenty of different bottle attachments for drinking on the go, the NutriBullet Pro 900 Series Blender is perfect for smaller, individual servings. It's not a true portable blender, but it's so convenient that it's almost the same thing.

It makes fantastic smoothies and shakes, which came out very green with no berry seeds or fibers left unblended. Even kale was totally pulverized, and it's great for taking on nuts and seeds, too.

Although simple to operate, the bullet-style blender shape is perfect for reaching everything inside the cup. Simply twist on the lid and lock it into the powerful blending base to start your smoothie. The blender comes with a screw-on handle and lids for sipping. Everything but the blades themselves can go through the dishwasher, and it's easy enough to clean the blades under running water after your drink is finished.

However, this blender is corded, so while it's incredibly easy to blend a quick smoothie and take it with you, you can't blend while you're on the go. What's more, it only has a single speed, so if you want to get creative with a recipe you might be a little stuck. We also found that when we tried it on sauces and dips like hummus it left a little to be desired. 

Our full NutriBullet Pro 900 Series Blender review has more details. 

Best portable blender for dips

We were pleasantly surprised by how well the Cuisinart EvolutionX tackled the trickiest of ingredients, including ice and frozen fruits. It's not just good for smoothies, either. Over the weeks of testing, we used it to make frappés, frozen cocktails, and even salsas. 

Using the blender couldn’t be easier: everything goes into the 16-ounce cup, then you press the button to activate the single-speed motor until you’ve got your desired mix. It also comes with a travel lid to drink straight out of the container. The battery lasts for up to 20 minutes, which was more than enough to prep multiple smoothies, salsa, and frappés over several weeks.

However, you might need to prep some ingredients, because the motor slightly struggled with half a frozen banana. It also won't work when it's charging, so you have to plan out when you'll use it ahead of time, and while the twenty-minute charge was great for occasional use, you might find it a little lacking for everyday use. 

Our Cuisinart EvolutionX Cordless Blender review has more information

Best budget portable blender

Not only is it seriously budget-friendly, but the NutriBullet GO Portable is capable of blending most fresh fruits with ease. It was great at taking on berries and soft fruits. If you work early shifts or head out to the gym with sunrise, you'll appreciate how quiet this blender is. It's no louder than an electric toothbrush, so you can make a quick healthy smoothie without waking the whole neighborhood. 

It has plenty of great safety features. The Nutribullet GO won't blend unless it is attached securely to the base, and it needs two presses of the on button to work, which will prevent it switching on in your backpack or if it gets jostled when the car goes over a pothole. However, one of the safety features might be a little inconvenient: it switches off automatically after a 30-second blend, so if you need to blend for a longer period of time, you have to start a new cycle. 

What's more, it can't crush ice. The motor is a tiny 70w, more than 20 times weaker than some of the blenders we've tested. It couldn't even put a dent in an ice cube, so if you want something for frozen drinks, try the next blender on this list. That also means it's not great for thicker meals like hummus or dips like pesto. You should also be aware that it's not dishwasher-safe, so you need to wash it by hand. 

Our Nutribullet GO Portable Blender review has more information

Best portable blender for ice

The BlenderX totally outperforms the competition when it comes to ice crushing. Couple that with a 20. oz plastic cup, and this is great for making frozen drinks while out and about with family. If you're in an RV or camping and want some frozen margaritas, this is the portable blender for you. It also has a convenient carry bag.

It's easy to use; all you have to do is screw on the plastic cup and start blending. There is a screw-on cap that keeps your blades protected when not in use. While great at crushing ice, it's also great for a range of other smoothies and drinks. 

However, our main problem is the weight of this blender. While understandable that a blender this powerful needs a bigger motor, it weighs in at 4.62 pounds, so it's not the best choice for commuting. Though the 20z capacity is great, combined with the motor this blender is more than a foot tall, so it isn't something you can slip in your handbag on the way to work. Though the carry bag is great, the wide base means that it's hard to store this blender. 

How we test portable blenders

We're proud of how we test blenders. Our on-staff reviews team tests in both our test kitchen and in their own homes, and not just over the course of a day, but over weeks. Often, we're lucky enough to keep the products, which means we can continually update our buying guides with comments about longevity. 

For this portable blender guide, we first tried blending smoothies. We tried a mix of frozen and fresh fruits, mixed with regular or nut milk, and a drizzle of honey. If the blender has an automatic shutoff we made a note of how many tries it took to get the smoothie to the perfect consistency.

We also tried making pesto in our portable blenders, which allowed us to see how they handled less wet ingredients. This also helped us see if any odors would remain inside the blending cup after use. 

Finally, we made crushed ice to see if the blenders could handle a few ice cubes. This is a big challenge for a portable blender, but some surprised us with how well they did. 

We tested both corded and cordless personal blenders because while a cordless blender is rarely as powerful as a corded one, the very best can manage what most of us want from them: well-blended smoothies we can make on-the-go. 

Our review and testing guidelines provide more insight into our processes, and our testers for this guide are listed below. 

How to choose a portable blender

Portable blenders (also known as travel or personal blenders) are typically designed to make smoothies directly into travel mugs. They’re built for quick, grab-and-go operation, and are designed to be easier and quicker to use than their full-sized models.

There are lots of different models and no right choice, as it depends on how you want to use the blender. If you travel a lot and want a blender that you can throw in your luggage, then size is all-important. Look for a smaller, lighter blender, even if you have to compromise on a smaller travel mug as a result.

If you’re going camping a lot and won’t have power, then look for a battery-powered model that you can charge and use when you’re out.

Smaller blenders tend to have lower-powered motors, so will work well with soft fruits and for making most smoothies, but you’ll find they struggle with (or can’t handle) ice or frozen ingredients.

If you mostly make smoothies at home, then you can get a model with a bigger base and a larger motor. With a bigger motor, you’ll be able to make a wider variety of drinks.

For home use, you may find it useful to get a blender with different accessories, such as a chopping bowl for preparing ingredients for cooking, or a grinder for dealing with spices.

Meet our expert testers

Millie Fender

Millie is our Reviews Editor, and has been testing product and writing for Homes & Gardens for years. Millie specializes in small appliances, and has tested dozens of blenders and food processors. 

Lindsey Davis

Lindsey oversees homes content at a range of publications. She's been working with home product testing for more than a decade. Specializing in everything homes and gardens-related, Lindsey tests the latest in greatest in small appliances and power tools as well as managing our team.

Laura Honey

Laura is our eCommerce editor. Before Homes & Gardens she studied English at Oxford University. Alongside her studies, she qualified as a barista and trained as a master perfumer. This makes her our certified expert for all things coffee, candles, and fragrance. Laura has worked for luxury retail brands, reinforcing the importance of quality and style over quantity and fads. She looks for products which have been designed with thoughtful finishes. The secret to her heart is simplicity in products, in style and, of course, in your homes and gardens.

FAQs

How much does a portable blender cost?

As they’re smaller and aren’t as powerful as full-size blenders, prices are much lower. An entry-level blender should cost under $50, and give you basic smoothie making with softer fruits.

At the high-end, you can spend up to $150 on a model with more accessories and more powerful motors to give you more flexibility.

Is a portable blender as good as a full-size blender?

A portable blender is different from a full-size one. Most portable models are designed to be quick and easy to use, with one-button operation and single-speed motors. They’re typically as good as large models for smoothies.

Travel blenders are generally quite limited, though: you can make smaller quantities, they’re not built to run for as long, and they don’t have the controls of a full-size model. 

You usually can’t use hot liquids in personal blenders, either, as the travel cups are made from plastic that could be damaged by the heat.

If you want to vary what you can make, and have more control over the process, a full-size blender makes sense and, as our guide showed, you can always add a travel cup to your model to give you that blend-and-go convenience. 

Of course, while these are great, they simply can't match the best blenders for power, speed, or capacity, so it's worth considering a traditional style. What's more, blenders can only handle liquids. For dry chopping, you should research the best food processors.