Searching for a portable blender to take on your next adventure? After researching over 30 contenders, we purchased 10 of the best to put through our extensive side-by-side comparisons. To test the performance of each contender, we blended up numerous smoothies; we evaluate each model's ability to slice up ice, vegetables, and berries, alongside other foods. We also evaluate features and ease of use from blending to clean-up. Nifty features are noted, and we discuss how each packs up and stores. After consuming endless smoothies, we offer you our insights on which products we recommend, including the highest performing, the best value for your money, and a few niche products that really stand out.
If you want a reliable rechargeable blender you can take anywhere, look no further than the Leegoal Bravo. The blending performance and unmatchable durability make it our top recommendation. It is the only blender we tested with an IPX7 waterproof rating. After fully submerging the blender in water for 30 minutes, we validated this claim as it sliced through frozen fruit without a hiccup. It also proved to be one of the more powerful blenders, achieving a desirable smoothie consistency faster than most other models.
Although portable, the Leegoal is rather tall. Those with very low-hanging kitchen cupboards or constraints on pack space may find the height problematic. Height aside, the only other real gripe we have is the small-sized mouth on the blending bottle. It's very narrow, which makes it harder to load ingredients. However, this is a nice safety feature for those with curious little tykes. If you can swing a few extra bucks, the Leegoal is a fine choice for anyone who wants durability, reliability, and portability all in one appliance.
The excellent durability and portability earned this model the top spot.
When it comes to space-saving portability, the Nutribullet Go is hard to beat. The entire unit takes up minimal space in daypacks, gym bags, and luggage. The blending cup itself fits in the palm of your hand and the lids also feature an extra security strap. During our drop test, the tiny cup held up remarkably well, showing no signs of damage or leaking. We were also highly impressed by the battery life of this mighty little blender. After a single charge, it had one of the longest blend times in our fleet. It may be small, but the compact cup offers exceptional portability.
With excellent portability comes less than ideal blending performance, though it is still above average. During testing, we had an annoying banana slice the blades just couldn't manage to tackle. With some persistence and patience, we pulverized that one lingering piece after four blends. For those who don't use bananas in their smoothie, this won't be an issue. In fact, we found this model to be one of the better options for blending frozen fruit. Considering the long battery life, it's worth the extra minute or two.
The small size makes this a phenomenal choice for those who covet portability above all else.
The sleek design of the Cuisinart EvolutionX Compact is much akin to a bullet blender with two exceptions. It features a push start button and has the option of cordless blending. The powerful motor crushes ice and pulverizes spinach. With the installation of the flip-top lid, the cup goes from blender to travel cup, with the option of leaving the motor base behind; a perk for anyone who wants to eliminate extra bulk and weight. In comparison to most portable blenders, this is the closest you'll get to standard blender performance.
The tradeoff for powerful performance is space. The combination of the blending cup and motor base takes up some real estate. If you want to blend and go, this model is an excellent choice. If you want to travel with the entire unit daily, another option may suit you better. The EvolutionX is best for those who want to skip the hassle of tediously slicing up frozen fruit and plan on leaving the motor base behind.
Pulverizing frozen fruit, bananas, and spinach is no problem with this quality option.
The PopBabies Portable offers remarkable portability and is one of our favorites for this reason. This blender incorporates numerous mobile features that are convenient and user-friendly. The sturdy handle offers a solid grip, while the detachable jar lets you drink without the motor base attached. The bold measurement lines indicate both ounces and milliliters making it easier to avoid overfilling. Meanwhile, the push-start button is easy to operate; blend smoothies, juices, or your morning protein shake in seconds — you can even crush ice, as long as you use tiny cubes from the included tray.
However, this model is not without flaws. First, you can't detach the blade from the cup. This isn't too much of an issue considering you'll never lose the blade — as long as you don't lose the cup. Second, the bottle is hard to clean. You can solve this issue by flushing it with water as soon as you're done with your beverage. Ignore the mess for hours and it will require a brush to remove the gunk inside. As long as you're more diligent with cleaning, the convenient design has much to offer for those on the go.
The packable design and solid blending performance made this the favorite among our testers.
For those who want a portable blender that can do more, the BlenderX Cordless is right up your alley. This is by far the most powerful blender tested, dominating at crushing ice and slicing through frozen fruit with ease. We dig that the larger bottle capacity allows you to produce bigger batches of frozen drinks. This is ideal for gatherings with friends, wherever that may be.
The biggest setback is the price point. You can easily find a standard blender offering equal performance at a better price. And, with greater power also comes a heavier, bulkier unit. To circumvent the size, the manufacturers tossed in a custom sling-style drybag. The BlenderX is best for those who don't mind sparing the extra expense for a portable blender that doesn't struggle with crushing ice.
This is the perfect option for backyard barbecues, picnics, and car camping.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
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Why You Should Trust Us
We formulated our test plan by assessing the intended use of the products and then zoned in on the most important criteria. We then rated each product according to portability, blending performance, durability, ease of use, and ease of cleaning. We put each one through a series of tests, including blending ice, frozen fruit, and protein powder. We also packed, dropped, cleaned, and cupholder outfitted each one.
Our portable blender testing is divided across five rating metrics:
Portability (25% of overall score weighting)
Blending Performance (25% weighting)
Durability (20% weighting)
Ease of Use (15% weighting)
Ease of Cleaning (15% weighting)
Our portable blender testing was led by our kitchen tester Carissa Stanz. She has been specializing in food writing and product testing for over four years and spends her free time conjuring up new recipes in the kitchen. From smoothies to lattes, she has spent the better part of a decade preparing and serving up tasty refreshments at neighborhood coffee shops, making her an ideal tester for this review.
We put these blenders to the test, blending ingredients of varying consistency and determining their overall portability.
Analysis and Test Results
Before stepping foot in the kitchen, we did our research, assessing well over 30 models and then purchasing the best 10 portable blenders. We meticulously analyzed each product in our side-by-side testing, evaluating each on portability, blending performance, durability, ease of use, and ease of cleaning.
We crushed ice, ground coffee, whipped up protein shakes, and drank more smoothies than one individual should drink to see which models could tackle the work of a standard blender. We timed our results, measured each model, washed every nook and crevice, and took them for a spin in the car as well as on a short hike. After weighing in, we tallied our results to see which ones made the cut. Overall, the Leegoal, Nutribullet, and EvolutionX are in the top rankings.
Value
While the price may be steep, the Leegoal Bravo checks all the right boxes. The blending performance and durability are on point, while the sleek design is an additional perk. If you want standard blender performance, the Cuisinart EvolutionX and BlenderX offer powerful motors that slice through fruit without needing to cut it up into teeny tiny bits. For those who can't justify the steep price, you can still blend on the go at a fraction of the price with the Nutribullet Go and PopBabies.
Portability
A good portable blender should be just that — portable. We tested portability by measuring, weighing, and packing each product. We assessed how well the blenders fit in a daypack, took them for a short hike, and then nestled them in the cupholder of a vehicle. While all the blenders are portable, some stood out among the crowd.
For instance, the Leegoal allows for a nice grip around the bottle and fits well in both daypack water bottle pockets and car cupholders. Meanwhile, the Nutribullet has exceptional packability due to its compact size. We love how the PopBabies feels in transport, and the fact you don't need to worry about searching for a blade cover cap before stashing it in a daypack. The EvolutionX has a nifty quick grab handle and solid car cupholder compatibility making it one of our favorite travel cups in this review. Additionally, all four of these models feature blending bottles that can be detached from the motor base. This not only lightens the load but feels most akin to carrying around a reusable water bottle.
We tested each option to see how it rested in a cupholder and the PopBabies fit like a dream.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
Unfortunately, we found the overall portability of EvolutionX to be on the bulkier side. We have similar feelings about BlenderX. While we like the concept of the waterproof bag included, we found the strap and inability to balance the pack load to feel awkward. If you plan on leaving the motor at home, base camp, or don't plan on carting it too far, this is less of an issue.
To test portability, we determined how well each one fit in the side water bottle pouch of a daypack.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
The tight lid of the PopBabies Glass gave us some assurance the drink would not spill in transport. We also liked how the slim design fits well both in the water bottle pocket of our daypack and our vehicle cupholder. The Tenswall and OBERLY both got honorable mentions for their bottle grip but could use some improvements on their flimsy straps.
Blending Performance
The best blenders should be powerful enough to slice through ingredients while reducing the hassle of busting out a standard blender. We conducted a four-series test to assess blending performance. This included crushing ice, blending smoothies, whipping up protein shakes, and grinding coffee. We then examined the results for desired consistency, evenness, and leftover residue. We also clocked the blending cycles and tallied up the blends per battery charge.
The BlenderX crushed the blending test. Equipped with 260W blending power, the BlenderX had no trouble with our ice test, pulverized large pieces of fruit, and left the least amount of protein powder residue in the blending cup. Trailing right behind is the EvolutionX. This model was able to tear spinach and tackle ice efficiently. These were also the only two models that did not require more than one blending cycle (about one minute) to reach a creamy smoothie consistency. The reason is the EvolutionX has a longer blending and the BlenderX only operates by holding the button down.
We tested each model's ability to grind coffee beans and calculated the efforts in blending performance.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
The Leegoal produced smoothies equally as good as the EvolutionX but required multiple cycles. This isn't too surprising given the short run time of 20 seconds. Considering it only took another cycle or two, the Leegoal is worth the nominal wait. Especially since it can tackle an array of ingredients like bananas and spinach.
Most portable blenders can only crush very tiny ice cubes, but the BlenderX had no problem handling average sized ice cubes.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
The Nutribullet was more of a mixed bag. When only blending frozen fruit, the tiny appliance pumped out some surprisingly quality smoothies. Toss half a banana into the equation and it's another story. Our testers found the inability to blend one slice of banana rather irritating. On average, banana smoothies with this unit require four blend cycles at 30 seconds. While that's not too much of a wait, you may not want to deal with pesky banana bits first thing in the morning.
We blended until the batteries ran out, drinking many smoothies along the way.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
The PopBabies and the PopBabies Glass can each make a tasty smoothie but will require multiple blends — like most of the rest. Also, props to the PopBabies Glass for the exceptionally quiet blend.
Durability
Since portable blenders are designed to blend anywhere you take them, the next factor you'll want to consider is durability. When testing durability, we looked at the construction of each product along with the quality of materials. We then packed each blender in a daypack and dropped it on the ground to simulate the brunt of daily abuse. After, we carefully re-examined every component and performed an additional blend test. While only one failed the drop test, there were some notable differences in construction, which led us to suspect some may last longer than others.
One of our prime concerns with durability is these smaller than average blenders won't hold up to daily use. Another concern is washing may lead to motor damage. Water damage is not an issue with the Leegoal. This model is not only waterproof, but it is the only waterproof blender in our review. All the components fit like a glove and we suspect it will have no problem handling a daily smoothie or two.
We love the durability and ease of cleaning with this model.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
The Nutribullet comes from a reputable brand that manufactures bullet blenders with quite the cult following. We feel anyone who has used any of their products can expect the same quality. The blending cup is durable and we feel the motor base will pump out smoothies for a longer period than the competition with a similar price point.
Similar to the Nutribullet, EvolutionX comes from a household name brand with quality craftsmanship. Both the powerful motor base and blending cup feel sturdy and capable of tackling smoothie after smoothie. There is no question this is one of the more premium designs with the price to match.
The plastic blending bottle of the PopBabies feels durable enough for daily use and nestles beautifully in the base. We did notice that the tiny plastic piece that covers the charging port fell off at some point in our testing. Considering the size of the plastic we were not the least bit surprised and expect this to happen with similar models.
A good durable blender has a quality blade that can slice through ingredients, again and again.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
While we also like its sister counterpart, the PopBabies Glass, the glass blending bottle raises some concerns as well — mainly, that the glass could eventually crack while on the go. It also failed the drop test as the flashing red light indicated the blender was malfunctioning. It did run a few full cycles after the test, but it was only intermittent as the blender began to frequently malfunction.
When unboxing the BlenderX, we noticed two loose washers underneath the blade plate. The instructions made no mention of this which raised some eyebrows. We also question what repetitive use will do to the longevity of some of the more budget-friendly options, such as the OBERLY and Tenswall.
Ease of Use
For ease of use, we tested everything from charging to operation to drinking. We paid close attention to how simple it is to load ingredients and how intuitive the user interface is of each model. While most of the portable blenders are a cinch to figure out, some had additional features that made them easier to operate.
Topping the charts for ease of use are the Nutribullet and EvolutionX. From loading to blending, the Nutribullet is highly intuitive and doesn't even require a solid flat surface for operation. You could blend while holding it in the plan of your hand if you like. However, this is not recommended. Blending with the EvolutionX is a breeze and feels remarkably similar to operating a bullet blender. The wider mouth is also a blessing for easily plopping in ingredients.
The USB models are so convenient you can charge them with your computer.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
The Leegoal is a piece of cake to operate. Although it has two noticeable flaws that prevent it from being the most user-friendly model. First, it has a very specific charging cord that is not universal. Lose the cord and you'll quickly need a replacement. Second, the blending bottle has a narrow mouth. The blender is capable of being loaded bottom up, but you must be careful to screw the base in right. Also, absent-mindedness may lead to a mess if you forget to screw the top cap on when loading from the bottom. That said, we feel these are minor complaints when considering all the attributes. Additionally, this is the only model with an LED screen featuring easy-to-read codes along with a time count.
Most of these options are so portable, you can blend in the palm of your hand.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
The PopBabies is the only option with bold measurement lines in both ounces and milliliters. We found the funnel accessory helpful when loading ingredients and the on/off push button was simple to operate. Trouble is you may lose the funnel to the abyss of the miscellaneous kitchen gadget drawer. This may result in more ingredients on the counter than inside due to the small opening. Meanwhile, the PopBabies Glass offers remarkable stability, requiring zero hands during blending.
The fill lines on the POPBABIES are easy to read making it even easier to fill.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
The BlenderX features a unique screw-on bubble lid designed to remove the blade component from the base. We found this to be an odd mechanism for removing the blade and much more likely to get neglected or lost in the shuffle over time. There's also the fact that this machine won't operate unless you're holding down the button.
Ease of Cleaning
The last metric we rated was the ease of cleaning. For this, we weighed how easy it was to dismantle and hand wash all the components, with a particular emphasis on cleaning the blades. We found all of the blenders were easy to hand wash, but we were particularly fond of the Leegoal and EvolutionX in this category. The Leegoal is easy to dismantle and there's no need to be extra cautious about damaging the motor by washing. We also found the detachable blade plate of the EvolutionX easier to clean.
The PopBabies is our least favorite model to clean. The blade is fixed to the bottom of the bottle, which makes it harder to reach. This is exacerbated by needing a brush to scrub the inside. However, a quick rinse after enjoying your beverage eliminates the need for extra elbow grease.
Most of the cleaning is as simple as running the blender with soap and water, then rinsing.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
We found the Nutribullet, PopBabies Glass, OBERLY, and Tenswall took little effort to clean. However, we couldn't give them a perfect score because it's impossible to clean the blade without risking water damage to the motor base.
Credit: Carissa Stanz
Conclusion
Portable blenders are great for whipping up an array of frosty beverages anywhere you take them. However, not all are equal. We conducted side-by-side testing to shed some light on different attributes, with the goal of helping you make an informed decision about your purchase. Hopefully, you can now decide which one is best for you.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
