7 of the best personal blenders for smoothies, shakes, and more

It's safe to say that Nutribullet is the pioneer in personal blenders. For almost a decade, those with an active lifestyle have relied on the Nutribullet to deliver them a fast and easy way to receive the ever-so-coveted nutrients from fresh fruits and veggies in their simplest form. No need for elaborate and tedious meal prepping. No more wrestling with a juicer and its many, confusing, components. In what is probably considered to be a revolution in healthy eating, we were able to forgo chunky, old-fashioned blenders and make smoothies every morning, with little to no hassle and most importantly, quick clean-up.

And after ten years and multiple dupes, it seems that Nutribullet still reigns supreme in the art of personal blending. But of course, as all know, technology has taken the largest of leaps in recent years, and in accordance with our new world, Nutribullet tweaked their famous machine to deliver you an even better, faster, and easier juicing experience.

The Nutribullet Pro has an optimized 900-watt motor, making it one of the fastest personal blenders in the game. And thanks to its newfound need for speed, it's stronger than the original, blending whole, dense foods such as nuts and seeds, into the perfect pulp. While it may boast a tough, gritty persona — there's no need to be intimidated — it's still just as simple as the beloved original.

The 10-piece set includes the 900W power base, an extractor blade, two 32 oz cups, two to-go lids, two lip-rings, and two lip-rings with handles — making it the perfect personal blending experience for those with busy lifestyles.

Smaller equipment doesn't mean lesser-quality results when it comes to the Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ personal blender. While not all personal blenders can handle whole fruits, vegetables, or ice, this one tackles them with ease. The blades on the Nutri Ninja rotate at high speeds to liquefy ingredients into smooth juices, smoothies, and purées.

As its name suggests, this machine uses smart technology to take the guesswork out of blending. It features intelligent programs that combine timed pulsing, blending, and pausing patterns that perfectly mix your ingredients of choice. A digital timer display counts down how much time remains in selected programs or counts up to track time while using manual speeds.

The Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ comes with two blending cups (18 and 24 ounces) that you can take with you on the go. Just screw on the included spout lids to turn the container from a blender to a portable beverage cup.

This Hamilton Beach blender is so compact, you could take it with you and blend wherever you can find an outlet. The whole thing weighs in at two pounds and the base features a slot to store the power cord. Blend mixtures in the 14-ounce container then pop on the travel lid and detach the cup from the base. Simply as that.

Hamilton is keeping it straightforward with this device — it just has one button to blend and pulse. This blender is designed mostly for smoothies and protein shakes, and can't handle big chunks of ice or hard ingredients like seeds.

There is only one blending cup, so you can't switch it up or store extra batches for later. You do have the choice between five colors, though. It's all about compromise, people.

Unlike a lot of the other choices on this list, the PopBabies personal blender isn't tied down by a cord. You charge it via USB and it's portable enough that you can take it on the go and blend your drinks wherever — whether you're making a fresh smoothie or just need to re-blend some chunks.

This blender is on the lower end of the price spectrum, which means you will compromise some power and features in exchange for a more affordable option. It can't tackle ice the way some of the more advanced blenders can, but to make up for it, PopBabies includes a tray to make smaller ice cubes that the blender will be able to crush.

A funnel also comes with this blender to make it easier to drop in ingredients and prevent messes. Pro tip: Cut up ingredients into chunks that are two inches or smaller for best results.

If you are into meal planning and prepping, this Cuisinart blender set is perfect for you. It comes with a 32-ounce, 8-ounce, and four 16-ounce blending/chopping cups, so you can make batches of differing sizes and store some of your concoctions for later. 

Use the Cuisinart to blend smoothies, mince herbs, or grind seeds with help from three touchpad controls and their corresponding LED indicator lights.

Though this appliance comes with so many add-ons, the blender itself is relatively small to save space, and it has slip-proof feet to grip to surfaces, preventing movement during use and avoiding damage to countertops. Plus, it's pretty cheap when you consider all that you're getting.

Not every personal blender is super fancy, nor do they all need to be. If you're looking for something simple and inexpensive that still gets the  job done, the Magic Bullet is a solid choice. It's designed to chop, mix, blend, whip, and grind. Designed to handle more than just drinks, this little blender can also be used for omelettes, sauces, and dips.

This 11-piece set includes three different blending cups with travel lids for drinking on the go, one of which has a handle for even easier transportation. Also included is a recipe book for guidance on quick, easy creations.

The Magic Bullet is not as powerful as some of the other personal blenders on the market, but it's also not as expensive. Expect to compromise on some of the more advanced features in exchange for a lower price. The most common buyer-reported drawback of this blender is its inability to chop through large ice or frozen fruits.

If you're in the market for a personal blender, but lack the cabinet space for such a device, the Zwilling Enfinigy could be your solution. Its sleek design makes it the perfect countertop appliance, taking up very little space and looking quite pretty while doing so.

What separates it from the rest? (Besides its exterior, of course.) It has multiple pulsing and smoothie settings, making it a reliable blender for all kinds of fruit and veggies.

In addition to all that, its plastic cup is breakproof, which is perfect for those on the clumsier side and is also heat/cold resistant, which means its 100% dishwasher safe.

For the most part, the Zwilling Enfinigy is highly-rated. However, some reviewers claim that their fruit isn't completely blended on the first go, and since its price is a little hefty compared to its opponents, that's something to consider.