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Small, portable blender on a wooden tray with ice in it, and a glass of strawberries behind it.

The 10 Best Portable Blenders for 2021

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Before we begin: if you just want the quick answer as to which is our favorite portable blender, it’s the PopBabies Personal Smoothie Blender. We love its build quality, value, size, and accessories!

There’s little better on a hot summer day than a smoothie on the go (or in the office, or at the gym…). But sometimes your favorite smoothie shop is nowhere near, and splurging on a fancy drink every time you’re in the mood for one isn’t exactly budget-friendly anyway.

Enter the portable blender. These convenient devices let you enjoy a smoothie just about anywhere, using all of your favorite ingredients. Depending on the model, you may need a power outlet, or you may be able to use it absolutely anywhere as long as the battery is charged.

But with dozens of options out there, which one is right for you? Our list of the top 10 portable blenders is designed to help you decide! We’ve picked a wide range of options, from cordless blenders strong enough to crush ice to purse-sized options that are convenient on the go to portable corded blenders that may be perfect for the office or long-term travel. Read on to figure out which is best for you!


Best Portable Blenders at a Glance

Best for: Overall portability and quality
Best for: Great design and quality (plus blending power!)
Best for: Heavy-duty blending on the go
Best for: Portable and efficient
Best for: Versatile, very portable option
Best for: Ultra portability and unobtrusive design
Best for: Ultra-budget, small footprint option
Best for: Protein shakes
Best for: Prolonged adventures away from power
Best for: Sharing


The Top 10 Portable Blenders


#1. PopBabies Personal Smoothie Blender

Best for: Overall portability and quality

The PopBabies Personal Smoothie Blender is an incredibly popular choice… and for good reason! It’s very easily portable, and has a sleek yet sturdy design. And given its quality, the price is extremely reasonable! 

We love that this device comes with a funnel and an ice cube tray. The funnel helps you easily get your food pieces or protein powder into the relatively narrow opening. And the ice cube tray makes very small ice cubes, which are necessary for this blender. (As with many portable blenders, it’s not strong enough to crush and blend full-sized ice cubes.)

Another great feature is that it comes in four color variations, letting you choose which best matches your personality and aesthetic. And its capacity is perfect; it’s larger than many others on our list, but not so large that it sacrifices portability.

In short, if you’re looking for a well-built, affordable portable blender for basic, relatively gentle tasks, look no further. Others excel at specific aspects (for example, they might have stronger motors or a larger overall capacity), but this one is a great all-around pick.

Specs and Features

  • Motor power: 175 watts
  • Power source: Battery / USB Charging
  • Battery capacity: 4000mAh
  • Blend capacity: 14oz / 400ml
  • Blades: 4
Pros
  • Light and portable
  • Several color options
  • Comes with small ice tray and funnel
  • Easy to clean
Cons
  • Not suitable for hot drinks
  • Relatively weak motor power and only 4 blades.

#2. OYeet Personal Blender

No products found.

Best for: Great design and quality (plus blending power!)

The OYeet Personal Blender is priced higher than many of the other options on our list—but there’s a great reason for that! It’s very powerful for a portable blender, which enables it to handle recipes that other devices would struggle (or fail) to execute. No more needing to chop your fruit into tiny pieces before freezing it, as you would with many weaker options.

You’ll find that many of these devices are designed for simple, straightforward smoothies with plenty of liquid. The OYeet, on the other hand, can make everything from nut butter to crushed ice. This can make it a feasible option to replace your home blender, too. (Which we wouldn’t recommend with most portable blenders, since they’re not strong enough!)

All that power means, however, that this blender isn’t battery-operated. You’ll need to plug it in. If you want to be able to bring your blender to the gym or office, this shouldn’t be an issue! But this one isn’t practical for taking on a hike or anywhere else that you won’t have access to power. And we wish it were a little smaller, given that its blend capacity isn’t much larger than that of some battery-operated portable blenders.

For anyone looking for a high-quality, high-powered blender to take with you to places that have power outlets, this is a great option. Just keep in mind that it’s corded and relatively large.

Specs and Features

  • Motor power: 1000 watts
  • Power source: Corded
  • Battery capacity: n/a
  • Blend capacity: 15oz / 445 ml
  • Blades: 6
Pros
  • Great looking and two color options
  • Powerful motor – can handle most types of recipes
  • Includes a cleaning brush
  • Comes with recipes and 7 and 14-day plans for weight-loss and muscle building.
Cons
  • Needs to be plugged in
  • Bigger than battery-operated portable blenders (but also a lot more powerful)
  • Power comes with a price to match

#3. Modern Comfort BlenderX Cordless Home, Portable & Travel Blender

Best for: Heavy-duty blending on the go

You’ve probably noticed that most of these blenders are very much engineered for portability over strength. They require tiny ice cubes or crushed ice, and insist that you need to pre-cut your frozen fruits into very small pieces before blending them. And that makes sense for many users; portability is often a deciding factor for anyone shopping for one of these devices.

But sometimes, strength and power are more important. If you tend to make drinks that require heavy-duty blending, an option like the Modern Comfort BlenderX offers the best of both worlds. It’s still small enough to be portable (and even comes with a water-resistant travel bag!), but strong enough to almost replace a standard home blender.

Most other blenders on our list are either cordless and relatively weak (but very portable), or corded and stronger (but less portable). The Modern Comfort BlenderX finds a way to fall right in the middle, maintaining its portability by being battery-powered while offering enough strength to blend full-sized ice cubes (a rarity on our list!). This is thanks to its patent-pending 24V battery system

As a result of its surprising power, the BlenderX is somewhat larger and less portable than many other cordless options. Bringing this is more of a deliberate, planned decision and less of an “I’ll just throw it in my bag in case,” but it’s still portable enough to bring just about anywhere.

If you want a truly portable yet surprisingly powerful blender, the Modern Comfort BlenderX should be at the top of your list. Just keep in mind that this brilliant combination of power and portability comes at a higher cost than many of the weaker options.

Specs and Features

  • Motor power: 260 watts
  • Power source: Battery / USB Charging
  • Battery capacity: information not available
  • Blend capacity: 20oz / 600 ml
  • Blades: 4
Pros
  • Bigger capacity, can make multiple servings at once
  • Can handle even standard-size ice cubes
  • Comes with water-proof bag for transportation
  • Long-lasting battery
Cons
  • Considerably bigger and heavier than other cordless blenders
  • This much cordless power comes at a price

#4. LaHuko Portable Blender

Best for: Portable and efficient

If you want a truly portable blender that still has the power to handle stronger tasks, this may be the perfect option for you. Unlike other options of this size and capacity, this one is strong enough to handle somewhat larger pieces of frozen fruit or ice. (With that said, we still recommend using smaller-than-normal ice cubes for optimal results.)

Another reason we love this blender is its lightweight portability. Some blenders, despite being made to be portable, are actually pretty bulky. Not so with the LaHuko, which has a pretty streamlined design. We also appreciate that it’s waterproof! While we don’t recommend deliberately submerging it, this offers some extra peace of mind if you’re taking to the beach, on a boat, or anywhere else where it’s more likely to get wet.

One reason that this option doesn’t take first place is that the bottle doesn’t function as a standalone drinking vessel. This means you’ll need to either pour your drink into a different glass (which reduces the portability factor), or else drink from it with the blender/motor part still attached. This definitely isn’t a dealbreaker for most people, but it’s worth keeping in mind as you make your decision.

Specs and Features

  • Motor power: n/a
  • Power source: Battery / USB Charging
  • Battery capacity: 4000mAh
  • Blend capacity: 13oz / 380ml
  • Blades: 6
Pros
  • Waterproof
  • Lightweight and very portable
Cons
  • Measures are in ml only
  • Bottle is not stand-alone: you must drink from it still attached to the blender or transfer contents to a different glass

#5. Bear Portable Blender

Best for: Versatile, very portable option

If portability and small size are your main concerns, the Bear Portable Blender may be just what you’re looking for. It’s smaller than other options on our list, making it ideal if you want something to toss into an oversized purse for a day out in the city.

We also love this device’s versatility! If you run out of phone charge on the go (and haven’t we all?), you can use this blender as a power bank. And if you’re in the mood for taking a snack rather than a smoothie sometimes, you can combine the lid with the dust cover to make a small container to bring with you.

A tradeoff of the small size is that this blender isn’t too powerful. You’ll need to cut frozen fruit into small pieces (ideally do this before freezing), and use very small ice cubes or crushed ice. But if you can live with that and you want an ultra-portable little blender, look no further.

One of the biggest drawbacks of this blender is that you may not be able take it with you on plane trips. As we discuss in detail below, you may be better off separating the blades from the lithium battery for travel.

The Bear Portable Blender, however, can’t be separated to isolate the blades from the battery. This means that you would need to put the whole thing in your checked bag (lithium battery and all). This may technically be allowed, but is ultimately up to various agents to decide. In short: if you’re planning to travel by plane and want to bring your blender with you, play it safe with another option.

Specs and Features

  • Motor power: 70 watts
  • Power source: Battery / USB Charging
  • Battery capacity: 2000mAh
  • Blend capacity: 11.84oz / 350ml
  • Blades: 2
Pros
  • Very small and lightweight
  • Comes in two color options
  • It can also act as a power supply to charge your phone
  • Can make up to 10 smoothies on a single charge
Cons
  • Small capacity
  • A blender this small means it’s not as powerful; it can’t handle harder/larger ingredients
  • Not a great choice for flying

#6. REDMOND Mini Personal Blender

Best for: Ultra portability and unobtrusive design

At first glance, the REDMOND Mini Personal Blender looks like a normal travel drinking bottle. You might not even notice that it’s a blender at all! This is because the blades and motor are cleverly hidden within the lid, and are compact enough that they don’t dramatically impact the overall look of the device. In other words: if you want a portable blender that doesn’t stand out as being a blender, this is the one!

As usual, the design choices come with some tradeoffs. Thanks to the section with the motor, battery, and blades being so small, this blender is less powerful than other (larger) options. The battery also doesn’t last as long as some others. (But you may actually enjoy the high-tech charging process with the magnetic contact charging!) Finally, the overall capacity is relatively small too, so it’s best if you don’t tend to want huge smoothies.

In short, we love this blender for anyone who’s looking for an extraordinarily portable, unobtrusive option. It’s great if you want a portable blender that doesn’t call attention to itself and invite comments and questions. It’s one of the most portable options out there, and is ideal if you want to have the option of a blended drink on the go without adding too much weight to what you’re carrying.

Specs and Features

  • Motor power: 300 watts
  • Power source: Battery / USB Charging
  • Battery capacity: 1600mAh
  • Blend capacity: 10oz / 300ml
  • Blades: 2
Pros
  • Ultra portable
  • Looks just like a regular travel bottle; the motor base is so small it just looks like the lid of the bottle
  • Easy to clean
  • Uses magnetic charging technology
Cons
  • Smaller capacity at 10oz
  • Shorter battery life than others

#7. Hamilton Beach Personal Smoothie Blender

Best for: Ultra-budget, small footprint option

One of the great things about portable blenders is that so many options are so affordable. And the Hamilton Beach Personal Smoothie Blender is at the top of the list when it comes to combining quality with an ultra-budget price tag. If you’re looking for a portable blender for gym or office use, but don’t want to spend more than absolutely necessary, this is the option for you!

We also love that this blender comes in a wider-than-average range of colors, with five to choose from. This is great if you want to choose your favorite color, or for several members of the family to be able to keep track of which is theirs! And with a price this low, it may be more feasible for everyone to get their own.

As always, though, it’s all about the tradeoffs. For this low price, you get a good-quality blender that works consistently and is small enough to easily carry with you. However, this is one of the smallest corded options out there. Given its small size, we wish it were battery-operated instead to make it truly portable! As it is, it’s great for taking to work in an office, but definitely not suitable for hikes or other activities without access to a power outlet.

Specs and Features

  • Motor power: 175 watts
  • Power source: Corded
  • Battery capacity: n/a
  • Blend capacity: 14oz / 400ml
  • Blades: 4
Pros
  • Extremely affordable
  • Comes in several color options
  • Small for a corded blender, making it very portable
Cons
  • Needs to be plugged in
  • We wish a blender this small were battery-operated
  • Bottle is not stand-alone: it detaches from the base, but you must drink from it still attached to the blade or transfer the contents to a different glass

#8. PROMiXX MiiXR PRO Rechargeable Shaker Bottle

Best for: Protein shakes

First things first: this is a mixer rather than a blender. Even so, we felt it deserved a place on the list, because it may be the ideal solution depending on what you’re looking for! The MiiXR Pro uses a motor to create a vortex that perfectly mixes your protein powder into liquid for a delightfully smooth and well-mixed shake. 

Since this is not a blender, don’t plan to use it for smoothies or drinks with ice or frozen fruit. But if you want a convenient mixer to have protein shakes on the go, this mixer should produce great results with ease (and without the dreaded lumps!). If that’s all you’re looking for, a true blender may be overkill that you don’t actually need.

We also appreciate that this mixer, since it’s designed for protein shakes, comes with an integrated compartment to store your protein powder. That means one fewer thing to carry around with you! And since this list is all about portability, that extra detail helps this particular device stand out.

Keep in mind that this machine can struggle with particularly thick protein shakes. If that’s your preference, you may want to stick with a traditional shaker bottle.

Specs and Features

  • Motor power: n/a
  • Power source: Battery / USB Charging
  • Battery capacity: n/a
  • Blend capacity: 20oz / 600ml
  • Blades: none
Pros
  • Perfect for supplement mixing
  • Integrated compartment for storing the protein power inside the bottle
Cons
  • Not a blender
  • Very limited uses

#9. PopBabies Portable Blender

Best for: Prolonged adventures away from power

PopBabies has earned two spots on our list thanks to the various strengths of their offerings. This one has the highest battery capacity out of all the blenders on our list, meaning that it should be the longest-lasting. (Of course, actual results will vary depending on use and conditions.)

To keep the battery going even longer, PopBabies has somewhat sacrificed the power on this device. You’ll notice that the motor power is 126 watts, compared to 175 watts for their other device (which is our top pick). As a result, you’ll need to use small pieces of frozen fruit and either crushed ice or small ice cubes. Since this option comes with a mini ice cube tray, that part at least will be easy!

This is one of the few blenders on our list that isn’t ideal for plane travel. You can read about this in more detail below, but here’s the basic gist. Ideally, the blades of the blender should go in your checked bag, and the part with the lithium battery should go in your carry-on. 

This blender doesn’t disassemble in a way that allows you to separate the blades and the motor, so that won’t be an option; you’ll need to put the whole thing in your checked bag. This is technically allowed by the FAA, but the final decision lies with the gate agent, and may not end up working out in your favor.

Specs and Features

  • Motor power: 126 watts
  • Power source: Battery / USB Charging
  • Battery capacity: 5200mAh
  • Blend capacity: 13.5oz / 400ml
  • Blades: 4
Pros
  • Available in glass or tritan
  • Long battery life
  • Small and portable
Cons
  • Less power in order to get longer battery life
  • Reports of not so great built quality

#10. Sboly Portable Mini Blender

No products found.

Best for: Sharing

Most portable blenders are also very clearly personal blenders, meaning they’re designed for just one person. But what if you want to share with a friend at the gym, or enjoy a smoothie during a day hike with your significant other?

Enter the Sboly Portable Mini Blender. It manages to solve this problem while maintaining portability. Instead of increasing the size of the blender to make multiple servings (as the Modern Comfort BlenderX does), this one cleverly comes with two cups. And since it can blend 10 to 15 times per full charge, it’s well equipped to make two smoothies in a row. If you tend to want to enjoy smoothies with someone else, this is far more practical than having each person carry their own blender.

Like most similar devices, this isn’t nearly as strong as your average home countertop blender. Don’t expect to blend multiple full-sized ice cubes and large chunks of frozen fruit. But if you want to make basic smoothies on the go, with an extra cup so you can easily make two instead of just one, this is a great choice.

Specs and Features

  • Motor power: 245 watts
  • Power source: Battery / USB Charging
  • Battery capacity: 4000mAh
  • Blend capacity: 12oz / 350ml
  • Blades: 2 (with a unique design)
Pros
  • Comes with two bottles
  • Available in two colors
  • Small and portable
  • Quiet
Cons
  • Like most portable blenders, not designed to handle large ingredients

What Is a Portable Blender? And Why You Need One

As the name suggests, a portable blender is a device that’s small enough to take with you on the go. Now you can enjoy a freshly blended smoothie at the office or the gym, or even during a hike or picnic. Just pack your blender and ingredients, and blend everything up whenever you’re ready for a refreshing drink.

Most of these blenders are capable of handling frozen fruits and vegetables, and even ice. However, they often require that your frozen items be cut into small pieces, or that you use a miniature ice cube tray or crushed ice. But keep in mind that portable blenders aren’t as powerful as standard home blenders.

Depending on your needs and how you anticipate using your portable blender, you have various options for which kind to buy, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Do you want a larger, more powerful device that’s less portable but capable of blending just about anything? Or a smaller, weaker one that you can easily toss in a bag and take anywhere?

In the next section, you’ll learn more about different options, which will help you decide which blender is best for you!


The Different Types of Portable Blenders

Cordless vs. Corded

The biggest choice you’ll need to make is whether you want your blender to be corded or cordless.

Infographic comparing corded and cordless portable blenders.

As a general rule of thumb, corded blenders are:

  • More powerful and can handle larger pieces of frozen food or ice cubes
  • Larger (and therefore less easily portable)
  • Ideal for anyone who wants to move their blender occasionally
  • Require a power outlet to function

On the other hand, cordless blenders are generally:

  • Less powerful and require food to be cut into smaller pieces.
  • Smaller (and therefore more easily portable)
  • Ideal for anyone who wants to take a blender anywhere (or everywhere!)
  • Battery-operated design means they can work anywhere, even without an outlet

In other words, when deciding between corded and cordless, you’ll need to consider four major factors that tend to vary between the two types. These are motor strength, size, portability, and power access.

For motor strength, consider whether you’ll realistically be able to consistently cut your fruits or vegetables into small pieces before freezing them, and have access to small ice cubes. (Some of the blenders listed include small ice cube trays to make this easier!)

For size, consider whether you’re usually making smoothies just for yourself or to share. Also keep in mind your preferred portion sizes. If you usually order a large 28-ounce smoothie and drink the whole thing, a device with a 10-ounce blending capacity may not work for you.

Next, think about portability. While corded blenders tend to be more powerful, they’re also generally larger, which makes them less portable. This can be fine if you only want to transport them occasionally. For example, maybe you want to take it to the office during the week and bring it home on the weekend. But if you want an extremely portable blender that you can toss into your gym bag or backpack to use on the go, cordless may be a better option.

Finally, assess whether you’ll have access to a power outlet in the places that you’ll most often want to use your blender. Even if you were willing to lug a larger corded portable blender on a hike, it won’t do you any good if there isn’t anywhere to plug it in! But if you just want to use it at work, needing an outlet may not be a problem at all. Again, this is all about figuring out how and where you’ll use your blender.

Plane-Friendly or Not

What you should look for in a portable blender depends on how you plan to use it. If you just want a blender that you can take with you locally, any option on our list should work. But if you tend to want a truly travel-friendly blender that you can pack in your checked bag for longer trips, there are a couple other factors that you’ll need to keep in mind. Skip ahead to learn more about portable blenders and flying!


How to Use a Portable Blender

If you’re used to a powerful countertop blender, switching to a portable one may take a little bit of getting used to. This is especially true for cordless, battery-operated ones, which tend to have even less power than their corded cousins.

Here are general instructions on how to use a cordless device. Keep in mind that this is all very generalized, because different blenders have different designs; follow the manufacturer’s instructions for yours! The biggest difference is in steps 4 and 5. Your blender may work better if you turn it right-side-up before you start the motor instead of afterward.

  1. Put your smoothie ingredients into the blender cup. Be careful not to fill it above the maximum line! These blenders aren’t super strong, so don’t push your luck by overfilling.
  2. Add milk, juice, water, or a liquid of your choice. Again, these blenders aren’t super strong, so don’t try to blend without a liquid to help things along.
  3. For most cordless portable blenders, at this point you’ll put the lid (with the blades and motor) onto the filled cup and twist it shut. 
  4. In general, you’ll now start the blender. (Yes, even though it’s upside-down and the blades aren’t touching the ingredients.)
  5. With the blender running, turn everything upside-down (or, more properly, right-side-up), so the ingredients fall down to the base and onto the spinning blades.
  6. Blend your smoothie. Depending on which model you’re using, it may run for a set amount of time, or you may need to turn it off while it’s done.
  7. If the blender is struggling, try tilting it to help move the contents around. Some devices even require you to shake them to ensure everything gets blended well. Again, consult the instructions for your particular device if you’re not sure.
  8. Wait for the blend cycle to end (or turn the blender off). Check the consistency of your smoothie, and blend again if necessary.

6 Benefits of Using a Portable Blender

1. Convenience

It’s hard to beat the ease of having a smoothie on the go just about anywhere or any time you want it! With a portable blender, you don’t need to search out the nearest branch of your favorite smoothie chain. Instead, you can stop and whip up your favorite drink any time or place that you want it.

2. An affordable device

Portable blenders tend to be much more affordable than full countertop versions. If you don’t actually need a full-sized blender for other purposes, and just want to be able to make smoothies, you may find that there’s no need to splurge on a home countertop blender too.

3. Saving money on drinks

When you compare the cost of some fresh fruit that you freeze yourself to the price of a smoothie at a major chain, you’ll quickly see how fast your device will pay for itself. Depending on which blender you choose, you may break even on the cost after just four or five smoothies! (Pro tip: look for fruits and vegetables that are at the peak of their season. These tend to be incredibly affordable, because there’s such an abundance of them that the prices get very low.)

4. Portability

Imagine trying to take a pre-made smoothie in a plastic cup with a straw in your backpack on a 3-hour hike. Yikes! A portable blender keeps things clean and simple, and ensures your smoothie is freshly made when you’re ready for it.

5. Getting in your fruits and veggies!

One of these devices makes it super easy to drink more fruits and vegetables, because you can make your own smoothies whenever you want. No more settling for easy-to-pack apples and bananas, or splurging on expensive (and often sugar-filled) smoothies when you’re out. 

6. Versatility and creativity

I’ll be honest with you: I hate bananas. They’re one of just three foods that I absolutely do not enjoy despite giving them many, many chances. For me, any smoothie with banana in it (and that’s most of them at the major chains!) is automatically basically undrinkable. Does that sound familiar? Maybe for you it’s apples, coconut, or orange juice. Whatever your preferences, a portable blender lets you easily create and enjoy your own delicious smoothies that are custom-made to your taste. Plus you can be super creative, using ingredients and combinations that you’ll probably never find in the store. (If you have access to them, try making a loquat smoothie!)


How to Clean a Portable Blender

Some portable blenders fully disassemble (like a traditional blender), while others don’t. Which cleaning technique you use depends on which kind of device you’ve chosen.

If your blender fully disassembles like a traditional countertop blender:

You can wash each piece individually just as you normally would. 

This means hand-washing the blades and any other small parts, and washing the container either by hand or in the dishwasher. (Please double-check first that your container is dishwasher safe according to the manufacturer’s instructions!) 

If the motorized base is dirty, you can wipe it down with a damp, warm cloth.

If your blender does not fully disassemble:

You’ll need to use a different cleaning technique.

Pour hot (not boiling) water into the container to a bit under the maximum fill line. Add just one or two drops of dish soap! (It can be tempting to use more, but this will result in way too many bubbles, since you’re working in a small confined space.)

Turn on the blender. If it’s the type that automatically shuts off after a blend cycle, let it run for a full cycle. Otherwise, let it run from 10 to 20 seconds, depending on how caked on the food remnants are.

Rinse the blender well with clean hot water. Inspect it visually; if there’s any food remaining, repeat the process. 

Note: it’s important do this as soon as possible after using your blender. Since there are hard-to-access nooks and crannies, it’s best to wash it as soon as you’re done using it. If this isn’t an option, and the remnants of your smoothie have dried out and caked onto the blades or container, pour in hot water and let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes before continuing with the cleaning process. This will help loosen up those stubborn bits.


Can I Take a Portable Blender on a Plane?

In short: it depends on your blender and your screening agent

Regardless of which blender you choose, you won’t be able to bring the whole thing in your carry-on bag, because the blades will need to go in your checked bag. However, many portable blenders can be packed in your checked bag.

Things get complicated when your blender has a lithium battery. These batteries “should be carried in carry-on baggage when possible.” (Notice that this is the opposite of the blades, which must be in your checked bag.) 

Technically, you can put your lithium-powered blender in your checked bag, as long as you do so properly. This means that the device “must be completely powered off and protected to prevent unintentional activation or damage.” Exactly what it means to protect it in this way is unclear. And, ultimately, whether it’s accepted is up to the screening agent. 

For this reason, we don’t recommend trying to pack a lithium battery-powered in your checked bag even if technically you may be able to.

(This may sound like overkill, since technically you are allowed to pack the lithium-powered blender in your checked bag if you take the aforementioned precautions. But as someone who has had all sorts of technically allowed items confiscated, down to a basic roll of Scotch tape, I really recommend not inviting extra hassle and possibly needing to throw away your blender at the airport.)

If your blender has a lithium battery

  • You’ll need to disassemble it and put the blades in your checked bag and the lithium battery in your carry-on bag.
  • If it’s not possible to separate the blades and the battery, we don’t recommend trying to bring it on the plane. Since the blades need to be checked, and lithium batteries in devices should be in your carry-on, there’s a decent chance that you won’t be successful in trying to transport it. We don’t believe it’s worth the hassle!

If your blender is corded, OR if it has non-lithium batteries (such as AA batteries), you can bring it on a plane:

  • If you can disassemble it: you can put the blades in your checked bag, and the rest of the blender either in your checked bag or your carry-on bag.
  • If you can’t disassemble it: you’ll need to put the whole thing in your checked bag.

How Do You Know if a Portable Blender Is Fully Charged?

Most battery-operated portable blenders have a light on them that will turn solid green when the device is fully charged. Depending on the blender, it may then pass through flashing green, flashing red, and solid red to indicate that the battery level is going down.

As with many other design choices, though, this varies depending on your specific device. The manufacturer’s instructions that come with your blender should have detailed information on how to tell whether it’s fully charged!


Can I Use a Portable Blender While It’s Charging?

Unfortunately, the answer to this depends completely on the blender. Some can be used while charging, but many can’t. Instead of relying on a one-side-fits-all answer, please consult your manufacturer’s instructions for your particular device to learn whether this is an option!


Can I Put My Portable Blender in the Fridge?

In many (but not all) cases, yes! Consult the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific blender to know for certain.

As a general rule, if the blender cup can be removed from the motor, you can put the cup in the refrigerator without an issue. (Some even come with a lid to make this easier!) With some blenders, though, the motorized base should not be refrigerated.


A Note on Safety

One of the benefits of these blenders is, of course, their portability! This can make it tempting to just throw your portable blender in your bag for a day out, with the ingredients already in the cup so they’re ready to blend as soon as you’re in the mood.

This is great, and encouraged! But please keep food safety in mind as you’re carrying your blender around. 

If you pack your smoothie cup with cold or frozen ingredients immediately before leaving on a hike and drink your smoothie three hours later, that shouldn’t be an issue.

But if you put your blender in your bag or backpack before work, and forget about it until you’re at the gym nine or ten hours later, your ingredients have almost definitely been in the food safety “danger zone” for too long and are no longer safe to consume.

Please read the USDA’s information on food safety and temperatures to ensure that you’re not accidentally going to make yourself sick thanks to the flexibility that a portable blender offers!


Three Things to Look For in a Good Portable Blender

With some products, there are specific things that set “good” apart from “bad.” With portable blenders, though, this isn’t so much the case. Instead, it’s a question of finding one that’s good for you, which will depend on a range of factors that we’ve touched on already.

Our list is deliberately broad to include options that are great for a wide range of uses. As you decide which one is the best for you, keep these factors in mind.

How portable is it

If you only want to move your blender once or twice a week, you may be able to go for a larger, more powerful one. But if you want to carry it everywhere, a smaller size and weight will be a priority.

Will you have access to power outlets

If you want to use your blender at the gym or office, a corded version may work well for you. But if you want to drink on the go, pick a cordless one instead.

What do you normally put in your smoothies

You may need an option with a more powerful motor if you tend to use whole ice cubes, large pieces of frozen fruit, or whole nuts. But if you use a lot of fresh fruit, juice, and crushed ice, a weaker (but more portable) one may work well instead. And if you just want to make protein shakes using protein powder, there’s an option specifically for that, too.


Conclusion 

Whether you want your smoothies (or protein shakes) at the office, on a hike, during a camping trip, at the gym, or during a day out in the city, there’s a portable blender that will work for you. As you decide which to get, you’ll need to consider factors including size and power source. Our list of our top 10 picks includes options for just about any scenario, so have a read through and figure out which is best suited for your needs and lifestyle.