The 7 Best Portable Blenders of 2023
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For the best fresh smoothies and drinks throughout your vacation, pack a portable blender.
A portable blender is one of the most versatile and handy tools you can have in your kitchen and on the road. Whether you’re whipping up smoothies for breakfast, campfire cocktails, or homemade hummus, having a compact, powerful blender at your disposal is a game changer.
Big, bulky blenders are great if you’re batching up frozen margaritas for a party, but they're impractical for day-to-day and travel use. Portable blenders solve that problem with their minimalist design. Plus, the jar often serves as a drinking vessel, making nutrients portable and minimizing cleanup at the same time.
Whether you're looking for something lightweight or have specific needs (like crushing a lot of ice), we’ve rounded up our favorite picks for every budget and blending need.
Best Overall: NutriBullet Pro 900 High-Speed Blender
Why We Love It
It’s very intuitive and easy to use.
What to Consider
There's only one speed.
Nutribullet has long established itself as top-of-the-line when it comes to portable blenders. The Pro 900 model is the perfect pick for those who regularly opt to blend up their breakfast, be it frozen fruit or ice-based smoothies. The blades are sharp enough to tear through vegetable stalks, seeds, and leafy greens, while the compact size ensures you'll want to bring this with you wherever you go. When testing, we loved that it blends directly into a to-go cup for easy use and comes with two 32-ounce cups so you can share with friends. Plus, the cups are dishwasher-safe, so cleaning is a breeze.
Price at time of publish: $120
The Details: 24 and 32 ounces | 11.81 x 12.05 x 12.99 inches | 1200-watt motor
Best Battery Life: BlendJet 2 Portable Blender
Why We Love It
One hour of rapid charging keeps this running for over 15 blends, and it’s self-cleaning to boot.
What to Consider
It’s extremely compact, so this isn’t ideal if you prefer making dishes and drinks with a lot of ice.
This blender is the perfect travel companion: It’s lightweight and boasts an extended battery life — not to mention, you can activate lock mode to make sure the jar never spills, even if it gets jostled around in your bag. When tested, we found it can be used regularly for weeks before it needs to be recharged and the USB-C charging port makes it easy to use on vacations — just an hour of turbo-charging will keep the Blendjet 2 ready to go for over 15 blends, making it perfect for camping trips and beach vacations. Blendjet’s patented TurboJet technology blasts everything from tough vegetables to frozen fruits over 275 times per second, which cuts average blending time to a mere 20 seconds. Getting your daily nutrients has never been easier thanks to its self-cleaning capacity. While the model isn’t dishwasher-safe, all you need to do is add water, a drop of soap, blend, and rinse it. Plus, it stands out from standard portable blenders thanks to the playful range of patterns and colors it’s available in, from a tie-dye Geode to a Lisa Frank Rainbow Leopard print that’s sure to delight all ‘90s babies. There’s also a pulse feature to help you whip up hummus, guacamoles, and more.
Price at time of publish: $50
The Details: 16 ounces | 9 x 3 x 3 inches | USB rechargeable
Best Budget: Hamilton Beach BPA-Free Personal Blender
Why We Love It
It’s an inexpensive and highly effective personal-sized blender for simple smoothies and dressings.
What to Consider
The motor doesn’t stand up well to ice or heftier ingredients.
If you’re in the market for a straightforward blender to tackle simple smoothies, it’s tough to beat Hamilton Beach’s model on the price point. While the 175-watt motor isn’t quite tough enough to take on ice, it seamlessly blends frozen fruit (just be sure to chop large chunks into smaller pieces first). At just 2 pounds, this is also one of the most lightweight and compact models available, so it’s ideal for those with minimal counter space and travelers trying to pack light. The jar also functions as a to-go cup that conveniently fits in most car holders.
Price at time of publish: $22
The Details: 14 ounces | 3.94 x 3.94 x 11.9 inches | 175-watt motor
Best for Smoothies: NutriBullet 600W Personal Blender
Why We Love It
For the price point, it’s nearly impossible to beat the power of this blender, which can take on frozen fruit, vegetables, ice, and more.
What to Consider
The rubber ring around the blades can occasionally pop out of place.
Designed to stand the test of time, Nutribullet’s original model boasts all the essential features you need to blend delicious and nutritious smoothies. The blades are strong enough to chop up seeds, frozen fruits, and even ice, while the 600-watt motor paired with ultra-sharp blades allows for fast and efficient blending in under 60 seconds. In fact, when tested, we found it only takes 30 seconds to blend up creamy and smooth drinks. The auto shut-off button also frees up your hands and your time: Just press and twist the top into place to blend your favorite beverage. For frequent smoothie-makers, the fact that you can toss the jar in the dishwasher is key — just note that the blades should only be washed with soap and water.
Price at time of publish: $70
The Details: 24 ounces | 6.85 x 11.61 x 12.28 inches | 600-watt motor
Related: The 10 Best Picnic Baskets of 2023
Best Accessories: KOIOS 850W Smoothie Bullet Blender
Why We Love It
It comes with two blade options — one of which is designed to grind dry ingredients like coffee and nuts.
What to Consider
It doesn’t operate hands-free.
When it comes to getting the best bang for your buck, KOIOS’ 11-piece bullet blender stands above the rest thanks to its dual-blade attachments. The six-leaf blade (an upgrade from the standard four-piece) is ideal for blending smoothies, shakes, and juices, and the two-leaf blade allows you to grind up coffee or churn a handful of cashews into nut butter in a matter of seconds. While there’s no auto shut-off button, it couldn’t be easier to use: You just press down, hold for 10 seconds, and repeat until you’ve reached your desired consistency. We love that the two BPA-free cups come with travel lids as well as a flip-top lid for easy drinking on the go.
Price at time of publish: $70
The Details: 10 and 17 ounces | 9.45 x 4.92 x 11.42 inches | 850-watt motor
Most Compact: Cokunst Portable Blender
Why We Love It
This incredibly lightweight blender is cordless, so it’s easy to travel with and looks extra sleek on your kitchen counter.
What to Consider
The drinking spout on the lid runs on the smaller size, which means you may want to take the lid off entirely for thicker beverages.
Cokunst takes compact portable blenders to the next level with its cordless model, which makes blending away from home easier than ever. Weighing in at just 1.1 pounds, this featherweight blender packs a powerful punch thanks to six-piece stainless steel blades and a 20,000-rpm speed motor. The 18-ounce blender — which doubles as a drinking cup — is the perfect size to travel with, whether you’re camping or commuting. While its size might make it seem like it can’t handle any ice, think again — it even comes with a handy ice cube tray so that you get perfectly-sized small cubes every time.
Price at time of publish: $25
The Details: 18 ounces | 2.76 x 2.76 x 8.66 inches | 110-watt motor, 4000mah 7.4V battery
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Most Powerful: Ninja Fit Personal Blender
Why We Love It
For how compact it is, this is one of the most powerful models on the market — plus, the flip-top lids are great for all beverage consistencies.
What to Consider
There’s no auto-lock function, so you’ll need to hold down the blender while in use.
Ninja offers the best size-to-power ratio of any portable blender on the market. Thanks to a 700-watt motor, this model can easily blast through ice, tough vegetables, seeds, and more, and yet is small enough to tote around at all times. Just note that the lid doesn’t auto-lock, so you’ll have to hold it down while blending. As an added bonus for those feeling uninspired by their daily smoothies, it comes with a 30-recipe inspiration packet to help you keep things fresh. When testing, we loved the two comfy Sip & Seal lids, which have a large enough opening for thick beverages and never leaked. Also, unlike many other models, even the blades of this one are dishwasher-safe, making cleanup extra easy.
Price at time of publish: $60
The Details: 16 ounces | 4 x 4 x 13 inches | 700-watt motor
Tips for Buying a Portable Blender
Think carefully about the weight
Are you primarily using this as a personal-sized blender on your kitchen countertop? If so, a little extra heft might not matter all that much. But if you’re planning to tote this around in your bag all day, carry it on your commute, or pack it for travel meals, you’ll want to prioritize models that are more lightweight and easy to take on the go.
Consider your wash needs
If being able to toss the entire blender — blades, cups, lids, and all — in the dishwasher is crucial to you, be sure to limit your search to dishwasher-safe options. Otherwise, self-cleaning or hand-wash models are often more lightweight and make great travel companions. Take note of how the blender comes apart as well, making sure each piece can be cleaned individually to maximize its life span.
Choose a versatile power source
Depending on your blending needs, it’s important to take note of how your model stays charged. If you’ll mostly be leaving it on the counter, then a standard AC plug is no problem. But for models that you’re planning to keep at the office or on the go, look for something battery-operated or with a USB or USB-C charging port.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are portable blenders dishwasher-safe?
The majority of the portable blenders on this list are dishwasher-safe, although often the blades must be washed by hand. Be sure to check the care instructions on your model before running it through the dishwasher. Many non-dishwasher-safe portable blenders instead offer self-cleaning modes, which require you to blend a bit of soapy water before rinsing and drying them.
Can I take a portable blender on a plane?
The short answer is yes. If you opt to pack a portable blender in your carry-on, TSA simply requires you to remove the blades and instead securely stow them in your checked luggage. Be sure to wrap them well so no sharp edges are poking around, to prevent injury to baggage handlers.
What can’t I put in a portable blender?
Non-foodstuffs, for starters. For the most part, keeping ingredients small is key with more compact blenders, so be sure to chop up larger chunks of fruit or ice cubes before tossing them in. Note the wattage on your motor — the higher it is, the better it can crush up things like ice and seeds. Blenders that operate at under 600 watts will have a more difficult time chopping up standard ice cubes.
Why Trust Travel + Leisure
For this article, T+L contributor Sophie Dodd researched every aspect of portable blenders, from motor strength to dishwasher safety. She used her expertise as a travel writer to narrow down a list of the best options for every need and budget.
Related: The 15 Best Travel Snacks of 2023
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