The 4 Best Portable Blenders - Fall 2023 Reviews

Of all the portable blenders we've tested, the best is the Ninja Blast. It's about the same size as a reusable water bottle with its motor base attached, so you can easily bring it with you on a walk or in your car. Its blending performance sets it apart from other portable blenders since it does a better job blending fibrous ingredients like kale and fruit skins. It doesn't match the performance of plug-in blenders like the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO, but it makes a decently smooth blend with just some small unprocessed bits left over. Adding a couple of ice cubes into the jar isn't an issue either.

The blender's motor base has one control button that lights up in different colors depending on the blender's status. The manufacturer advertises a continuous battery life of about 7.5 minutes (or 15 blending cycles of 30 seconds each), although performance depends on what you're blending. The 18oz jar and drinking lid are dishwasher-safe, but the blades aren't because they aren't removable from the motor base. Unfortunately, that makes the blender tricky to clean by hand since you can't immerse the motor base in water, and some grooves around the blades are hard to reach.

The BlendJet 2 is less well-built than the Ninja Blast and, according to the manufacturer, has a somewhat shorter 5-minute battery life. However, it's light, portable, and comes in many different colors and patterns. Like the Ninja, its blades are built into the motor base, but it's much easier to clean by hand since the design of the jar and base traps less food in hard-to-reach places. It also has about 15 blending cycles that last around 20 seconds each time.

However, compared to our top pick, it struggles more with tough ingredients. If your smoothie recipe includes fibrous elements like kale or blueberries, it'll have a grainier texture. It takes longer to process the ingredients, too. It's not a good ice crusher, but it can break up a couple of ice cubes at once, so you can add ice as part of a smoothie or shake recipe. The jar's lid has a plastic loop so you can carry it or hang it from a backpack, but it's a flat lid instead of a resealable lid with a drinking spout, so it's not as easy to drink from when you're walking or driving.

The best budget portable blender is the PopBabies Portable Blender. This blender's design differs from the previous picks because the blades are fixed inside the jar instead of onto the motor base. This makes it more difficult to clean by hand, especially because the jar's opening is too small to fit your hand into. However, it also means you can use the jar without the motor base attached, so it's a little lighter and smaller when carrying it around.

It's less well-built than the BlendJet 2 but has a similar battery life and makes a fairly smooth blend with fibrous smoothie ingredients like leafy greens. While the jar opening can't fit regular-sized ice cubes, unlike the previous picks, it comes with a mini ice cube tray to make ice that will fit in the jar. A silicone funnel is included to help add ingredients to the jar. The manufacturer advertises that its battery provides roughly 20 charges, each lasting 20 seconds.

If you're looking for a blender for camping, try the Cuisinart EvolutionX Cordless Rechargeable Personal Blender. It's less portable than previous picks but is more powerful, making it a good choice for camping, road trips, and other situations where you don't have constant access to an outlet. The previous picks' blades are fixed inside the jar or on the motor base, and you carry the whole blender around with you. This blender comes with a separate blade assembly and motor base; this makes it less portable since you'll have to carry the motor base separately if you use the jar as a travel cup.

However, it has some advantages over smaller, more portable options. The manufacturer advertises a 20-minute battery life, the longest on the list. It makes a fairly smooth blend with fruits and vegetables. It leaves a few more grains behind than the Ninja Blast but processes ingredients more quickly. It's also the most versatile battery-powered blender on this list since it's the only one that can make smooth, spreadable nut butter with a 'full batch' of two cups of nut butter. The Ninja Blast can also make good nut butter, but only if you work with about one cup of ingredients at once. Of course, battery-powered blenders aren't ideal for tough recipes since they take a lot of time and deplete the battery faster. However, this one is a good option if you need a blender for your camper or cabin and want a little more power and versatility.