8 of the best blenders for making smoothies

Vitamix is a top name in blenders, and as such, its models are usually pretty pricey. The Vitamix A2300 from the Ascent series clocks in at $469.95, but keep in mind it has more features than cheaper blenders and it connects to a mobile app via WiFi.

The Vitamix blender features pulse and variable speed controls, and when connected to the app, you gain access to 17 preset programs and more than 500 recipes. It also has a digital timer to avoid over- and under-blending.

The motor stays cool while the blades work hard and spin fast to totally pulverize ingredients. This blender handles ice and frozen fruit like a champ.

This 72-ounce Ninja blender crushes ice with ease, giving you the perfect frozen smoothie and you'll get great consistency whether you blend ice or frozen fruits. It features six blades that slice and puree ingredients in a matter of seconds.

An opening in the blender's lid makes it for easy pouring, meaning you won't spill your smoothie as you transfer it to a drinking cup. One drawback of this blender is that the pitcher is made of plastic rather than glass, which can lead to cracking with extended use.

The blender features low, medium, high, and pulse settings to get you to your desired consistency.

Our top choice for personal blenders is the Magic Bullet. (See more of our favorite personal blenders.) This thing is small and compact, but does a really nice job blending smoothies. The motor is only 250 watts, so it does take a bit longer than a more powerful, full-sized blender.

The Magic Bullet is great for portioning out a single smoothie, and it comes with different lids so you don't have to transfer your smoothie to another cup before leaving the house. It comes with two 18-ounce blending cups and a smaller blending jar, but we'd recommend buying extras to keep on hand.

One drawback of the Magic Bullet is the noise — this baby is loud if you're blending ice or frozen fruits, which you probably will be if you're making a smoothie.

The Calphalon auto-speed blender combines high quality with affordability. Its six-point stainless steel blades pulverize ingredients in seconds, and the blender features 10 speed settings, including special settings for smoothies, milkshakes, frozen drinks, and dips.

The blender automatically adjusts its power to maintain blade speed for perfectly blended results, giving you a smoothie free of lumps or ice chunks. It also has a digital interface with a built-in timer.

In addition to the 2-liter blending pitcher, this blender comes with a 25-ounce smoothie cup so you can make personal smoothies or share with the whole family.

The Black+Decker PowerCrush blender is equipped with quiet technology to ease the noise while blending. Keep in mind it is still a blender and you'll be using metal blades to cut through frozen solid matter, so it won't be completely silent, but as one reviewer wrote, the blender will muffle sound, almost like it's working in the next room over.

This is a great countertop blender for anyone with roommates or family members they don't want to wake up with their morning smoothie. It has a 900-watt motor, which is not as powerful as some of the others on this list, but it will still do a good job crushing ice.

The PowerCrush has three speeds and a pulse function, and it comes with an 18-ounce smoothie blending cup. The main blending pitcher is made from a durable glass, so you don't have to worry about it cracking like you would with plastic.

At a more budget-friendly price, the Oster Pro blender features seven speeds and three presets, including one for smoothies. The blades rotate in both directions to ensure even blending with extra power to chop and grind.

With a large 6-cup pitcher and a smaller 24-ounce smoothie cup, you have the ability to make personal blends or enough to share. The powerful motor will crush ice and pulverize ingredients quickly.

For less than $100, you get tons of great features and really nice power. This earns the Oster Pro the title of best bang for your buck.

Cosori might not be as recognizable a brand as Magic Bullet, but its personal blender is definitely a tough competitor. It has a stronger motor than the Magic Bullet and is able to chop and crush ingredients.

This personal blender comes with two 24-ounce blending cups and a 12-ounce travel mug. It also has some travel lids, so you can blend your smoothie and take it with you in the blending cups.

A nice feature of this blender is that it has a couple different speeds — you can press to start and stop and choose between autospeed and pulse.

With a 40-ounce pitcher and 20-ounce blending jar, the Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher doubles as a full-sized and personal blender. Its 700-watt motor is not the strongest we've seen, but it's still powerful enough to blend ice and frozen fruit.

This blender has 12 blending functions, including a setting for smoothies so you can take the guesswork out of blending the ideal consistency. Note that some reviewers complained about having to reach in the pitcher and stir while blending to make sure everything got chopped evenly.

The blending pitcher's lid has an easy-pour spout to avoid messes and the smaller blending jar comes with a travel lid so you can take your smoothie on the go.