Best Portable Blenders of 2026: Ninja, Nutribullet, Beast

cordless portable blenders A decade ago, or maybe even three years ago, that wasn’t really a thing. But battery technology is getting better. That means the best portable blender I’ve tested, the Ninja Blast Max ($100), is now perfectly capable of making a six-pack of crushed-ice margaritas at your next picnic or whipping up a berry-filled protein shake without breaking a sweat at the gym. Meanwhile, the ingeniously designed NutriBullet Flip ($115) offers more torque than previous generation blenders, as well as enough insulation to keep the ice frozen until lunch (or even dinner) time comes.

Isn’t this a satire on your past experience with cordless blenders? Reader, I agree. This is a new technology, and most past (and present!) cordless blenders have been disappointing, especially compared to the best blenders that plug into the wall—which are often a hundred times more powerful. But after testing the eight most promising contenders for battery life, ice crushing, smoothie and milkshake stability, and all-round blender vortexing, I found that our two top cordless blenders were far superior to the rest.

That said, it’s worth considering whether you really need a cordless blender for blending on the go – or just a small personal blender that performs much better and whose mixing chamber can magically transform into a drinking cup. WIRED has been testing personal blenders for years, and our top pick, the NutriBullet Ultra ($164), might be the high-powered, sippy-cup, office-bound solution of your dreams.

Be sure to also check out WIRED’s wellness-related coverage, including our guides to the best juicers, best protein powders, and best workout apps.

Overall Best Portable Blender: Ninja Blast Max

The Blast Max is a titan in the fast-moving world of cordless blenders, every pathetic “before” in a Charles Atlas comic. To some extent, this is a result of sheer power, when power is measured not in hundreds of watts but in tens. The Ninja’s 13.3-volt battery helped make it the most powerful I tested, helped by a proprietary charger instead of the USB-C cable preferred by most cordless blenders.

Of course, the Max can make protein shakes: almost all cordless blenders can. But the cordless Ninja is also good at extracting almond butter without jamming. And it’s the only portable blender I tested that was capable of crushing ice without turning it on. In fact, it can turn cubed ice into fluffy ice cream without any messy chunks, a feat that no other cordless blender can even come close to achieving. If you mix tequila and a little margarita mixer and take that thing on a picnic, the results are even more satisfying.

Sadly, it still takes up to three hours to charge. But the Blast Max can mix up to seven to 10 drinks on a single charge, depending on how much mixing is needed—enough to make an octave of mixed cocktails or smoothies. A trio of blender settings set the Blast Max apart, from an impressive ice crush setting to an AI setting that adjusts power according to the resistance of different ingredients.

My colleague Adrienne So tells me that the Ninja Blast Max’s predecessor, the Max-less Ninja Blast, was a life-changing addition to her morning rituals when she arrived in the doldrums of 2023. The specifications of the new Max mean it can change lives almost twice as much.

Best insulated portable blender: Nutribullet Flip

Portable blenders have a very simple problem: ice. Ice is what provides a lot of the satisfying texture that makes smoothies fun. But if you’re going somewhere without electricity, you’re probably going without a freezer, too. This NutriBullet Flip, quite cleverly, solves this problem by using the same double-walled vacuum technology that keeps your coffee hot and your water cold in your favorite travel mug.

In my testing, filled halfway with ice and only ice, the NutriBullet Flip was able to retain most of its ice after eight hours. Of course, adding liquid complicates matters, unless the liquid is already ice-cold. But as long as most of the components in the blender are cold, you have a good chance of making it to lunch with a few ice cubes.