A portable blender is a must for health enthusiasts on the go, at work, or while traveling.
A battery-operated personal blender is a fast way to make energizing drinks, whether for a morning boost or a refreshing margarita.
But:
How do you find the best single-serve blender that costs less than $50?
In this post, you’ll find reviews for the best portable blender bottles for personal use and travel, their unique uses, and their pros & cons – to help you make a quick and wise decision.
What's In Here
- 1 Top Pick
- 2 Are Portable Smoothie Blenders Any Good?
- 3 Portable Blender Benefits
- 4 The 7 Best Portable Blenders for Smoothies (Under $50)
- 4.1 1. Blendjet 2 Portable Blender – Best USB Blender Bottle
- 4.2 2. Oster Portable Blender (Blend Active) – Best for Protein Shakes
- 4.3 3. Hamilton Beach Personal Blender – Best Budget
- 4.4 4. PopBabies Portable Blender – Best Seller on Amazon
- 4.5 5. Nutribullet Pro Blender with Travel Cup – Most Powerful
- 4.6 6. Ninja Fit Personal Blender – Best for Travel
- 4.7 7. Oberly Portable Blender – With a 6-Point Blade
- 5 How to Use a Portable Blender
- 6 How Long Does the Battery Last on a Portable Blender?
- 7 How Do You Clean a Portable Blender?
- 8 Are a Blender and a Food Processor the Same?
Top Pick
In 2024, our top recommendation is the Blendjet 2 personal USB blender. Its convenient portability, 16-ounce capacity, ability to make 20 beverages per charge, powerful motor, and vibrant design make it a standout choice.
Here are more reasons:
- Powerful motor – crushes ice and hard nuts
- Can make anything from perfect smoothies, protein shakes, cream frozen lattes, milkshakes, slushies, baby food, sauces, and more – you get a new recipe every week
- Self-cleaning and water-resistant
Are Portable Smoothie Blenders Any Good?
Portable personal blenders are usually small, cordless, battery-operated blenders for personal use, designed to make your smoothies, protein shakes, and even your margaritas – on the go.
You can also use a battery-operated blender to chop, mix, whip, grind, and blend small quantities of food.
The best portable blenders perform just as well as full-size home blenders and often offer innovative elements and features that make them even better.
How’s that?
Well, here are the unique benefits of portable blenders:
Portable Blender Benefits
1. Simple to Operate
Rechargeable blenders are convenient and very easy to use, and the best ones come with accessories that are easy to detach and clean.
They are all lightweight and small, without any tangled cords around them.
2. Time-saving
As long as you charge a personal blender in advance, you can make your favorite smoothie anywhere – in your car, on the way to work, hiking, or at the airport – in just a few minutes.
(👉See the best mini rice cooker for travel/personal use)
Since portable blenders are smaller, the blender speed is slower, but this won’t matter since you won’t need it for “heavy-duty” work and large quantities, so it will not take long to make a smoothie.
The 7 Best Portable Blenders for Smoothies (Under $50)
Here are the results of our 15-hour research and personal testing:
1. Blendjet 2 Portable Blender – Best USB Blender Bottle
- Dimensions – 3″ x 3″ x 9″
- Capacity – 16 oz (33% more than the original model)
- Battery life – 15+ blends
😍 Pros – can blend frozen fruit and big chunks, crushes ice, has safety features, BPA free, new model is quieter, comes with a recipe book
😣 Cons – the container is relatively small
✅ $49 at Blendjet (free worldwide shipping)
The original Blendjet One blender blended 8-12 beverages per charge (which takes 2.5 hours), and the 6 stainless steel blades were so powerful that they could crush ice.
The strong 5V motor did not overheat thanks to the built-in safety feature that keeps it from heating, and it came with a strainer that filters out the extra pulp, and a convenient carrying strap.
The newest model, the Blendjet 2, has a larger, 16-ounce capacity, blends 20 beverages per charge, and is water-resistant (so you don’t have to worry about getting liquid in the USB-C).
Also, the stainless steel blades are offset from the base’s center, creating a “tornado” effect that blasts the ingredients to the back of the jar and results in much better blending.
The motor is powerful and the battery has doubled capacity compared to the first model.
How Do You Wash the Blendjet?
The Blendjet has a self-cleaning capability, and all you have to do is add a drop of soap, and some warm water, and blend for a few seconds. Now it’s ready and clean for your next blend!
✅ Available at Blendjet ($49 with free shipping and a free recipe book)
2. Oster Portable Blender (Blend Active) – Best for Protein Shakes
- Dimensions – 7″ x 3.5″ x 3.5″
- Capacity – 10 ounces
- Battery life – 10+ blends
😍 Pros – sleek design, nonslip, has a drinking lid to sip on the go, strong motor, safety features, easy to use
😣 Cons – a relatively small amount of shake, can not handle harder vegetables and hot drinks
✅ $36 on Amazon
The Oster Blend Active portable blender has a USB-rechargeable battery that is supposed to last for 10 blends on the go when fully charged and is a small, sleek, and simple-to-use personal blender.
However, when we tested it, we found that the charge lasted for only 2 blends.
You can drink straight out of the BPA-free bottle with the silicone drinking lid, and the non-slip sleeve gives you a good grip for a sip on the go.
However, users say this only works for softer fruits (frozen as well), and the smoothie amount you get is only 8 ounces.
If you want a larger shake or to make several servings – this is not for you.
✅ Available on Amazon ($36)
3. Hamilton Beach Personal Blender – Best Budget
- Dimensions – 4″ x 3.5″ x 12″
- Capacity – 14 ounces
- Battery life – no battery
😍 Pros – powerful, crushes ice, stainless steel blades, one-button operation, good as stationary too, no leaking
😣 Cons – does not work well with hot drinks, struggles with fibrous fruits, kale, and nut butter, no USB charging
✅ $20 on Amazon
The Hamilton Beach portable blender operates with a simple one-touch button and makes it easy to blend shakes, smoothies, marinades, salad dressing, and baby formula – on the go.
It serves as a stationary blending jar in blending mode and a detachable travel mug with a lid – that lets you drink straight from the jar, and fits in most car cup holders.
The 175 motor and the stainless steel blades have ice-crushing power and the travel lid allows you to “blend and run” – wherever you are.
The BPA-free jar and lid are dishwasher safe.
✅ Available on Amazon ($20)
4. PopBabies Portable Blender – Best Seller on Amazon
- Dimensions – 3″ x 3″ x 6″
- Capacity – 14 oz
- Battery life – 6+ blends
😍 Pros – quiet, compact, plug fits all countries, crushes ice and nuts, dishwasher safe, comes with a free funnel
😣 Cons – requires slicing your fruits into small pieces, not powerful at crushing ice
✅ $29 on Amazon
This unique, mini smoothie maker is a detachable camping (battery-operated) blender that is versatile and convenient to use and is the most popular personal blender on Amazon right now.
It is one of the smallest models by PopBabies (but comes with a 14 oz bottle) and is powerful enough to blend ice along with the pieces of frozen fruits for your smoothies.
It also comes with a mini ice cube tray that makes small cubes that it can crush!
It’s also very convenient that is charges with a universal USB-C charger, so you don’t need to take another cable with you.
The cup is made with toxin-free food-grade material (dishwasher safe), and the plug fits all countries.
It can also blend the hardest nuts in 15-20 seconds.
✅Available on Amazon ($29)
5. Nutribullet Pro Blender with Travel Cup – Most Powerful
- Dimensions – 10.5″ x 78″ x 11.5″
- Capacity – 32 ounces
😍 Pros – Powerful, versatile, and feature-packed with a motor that can handle almost anything, a strong base, and long-lasting power.
😣 Cons – Can be quite noisy during operation, needs a power outlet
✅ $109 on Amazon
This Nutribullet model is one of the best-selling portable blenders of 2024 and for good reasons.
The 900-watt motor is powerful and easily handles all your shakes, smoothies, sauces, and purees, and can be used for grinding, mixing, and stirring.
This compact size 13-peace blender is easy to assemble and makes it a top-notch choice for home use and on the go – even though it is not USB-chargeable.
The 13 pieces include a power base, 32 oz. colossal cup, 24 oz. tall cup, flip-top to-go lid, handled lid ring, and non-handled lid ring.
A hard copy recipe book is included, shipping is free and fast, and you’ll love the design and all the gorgeous colors you can choose from.
✅ Available on Amazon ($109)
6. Ninja Fit Personal Blender – Best for Travel
- Dimensions – 4.5″ x 4.5″ x 13″
- Capacity – two 16-ounce cups
- Battery life – no battery
😍 Pros – convenient and easy to use, quick and efficient blending, good size and weight, blends frozen foods
😣 Cons – hard to find replacement cups, you need to press on the jar to blend, no USB charge
✅ $38 on Amazon ⬇️Price
This small and lightweight personal blender bottle comes with two 16-oz cups, 2 sip-and-seal lids, and a recipe guide with 50 healthy smoothie ideas.
The special lid allows you to push the food down for another blend and also functions as a sip-and-seal lid.
The cyclon push technology enables the blades to grind and pulverize whole fruits and vegetables – without losing any nutritional value, and the 700-watt motor is strong enough to crush ice.
✅ Available on Amazon ($38) and at Walmart ($59)
7. Oberly Portable Blender – With a 6-Point Blade
- Dimensions – 3″ x 3″ x 9.5″
- capacity –
- Battery life – 12 blends
😍 Pros – safe to use and to take for travel, quick charging, nontoxic materials, sharp blades
😣 Cons – some users find the lid hard to open, and can not handle regular-size ice
✅ $20 on Amazon ⬇️Price
The Oberly small yet mighty 6-point blade portable blender comes with a battery that lasts for 10-12 shakes or smoothies in one charge, and a smart safety system (magnetic sensing switch).
Its small size and carry handle make it a great fit for travel, and the price is lower than average.
The self-cleaning mode allows you to easily wash the blender without leaving any dead corners.
All you do is add a bit of soap and water and click the switch to start automatic cleaning.
This USB juicer bottle has a built-in 2000mAh rechargeable battery that a power bank, computer, laptop, mobile phone, or any USB device can easily charge.
Made from high-quality BPA-free and PP food-grade material!
✅ Available on Amazon ($20)
How to Use a Portable Blender
Here are a few tips to know before you use a portable blender bottle:
- Break the ice into smaller pieces.
- Start with the liquids, then add the rest.
- Clean and dry the blender after each use.
- Do not microwave the blender, it’s not made to use in the microwave.
How Long Does the Battery Last on a Portable Blender?
On average, most portable blenders can blend 10-20 times on a single charge.
The battery life also depends on the power of the motor and the type of ingredients being blended.
For example, blending tougher ingredients such as ice or frozen fruits may require more power and drain the battery faster.
How Do You Clean a Portable Blender?
Most portable blenders are dishwasher-safe. All you need to do is detach the parts and let the dishwasher do its work.
In case your product is not dishwasher-safe, you separate the detachable parts and soak them in water with a little bit of dish soap.
This way the stains will easily come off with a single wipe.
Some small blenders, such as the Blendjet 2, feature a self-cleaning mode, where you only add a bit of soap and water and run the blender for a minute for an easy clean.
Are a Blender and a Food Processor the Same?
Although blenders and food processors have blades that spin at very high speeds, they are a little different.
A blender is commonly used to make liquid products such as smoothies and shakes.
On the other hand, a food processor is used for tasks like cutting and slicing fruits and vegetables or mixing dough.
👉 Want to heat/cook your lunch on the go? Check out the top 6 portable food warmers of 2024!
The KM Team