The 5 Best Personal Blenders Under $50, According to Shape Product Testers

Boosting your fruit and veggie intake is no easy feat. There's only so much steaming, roasting, and chopping that one person can take. Luckily, adding a fiber-packed smoothie to your diet is an easy way to up your plant consumption. The nutritious beverages are the perfect breakfast, post-workout snack, or afternoon pick-me-up — but not everyone wants to drop $10 on one at their local smoothie shop.

A money-saving alternative is adding a personal blender to your kitchen lineup. These single-serve designs differ from standard blenders because they come with a blender jar that doubles as a cup when detached. This streamlines the cleanup process and helps more accurately measure ingredients to guarantee taste and reduce food waste. Plus, it's possible to find one that crushes ices, blends frozen fruit, and pulverizes greens for less than $50.

These are the best personal blenders under $50, according to product tests:

• Best Overall: Magic Bullet

Get the most bang for your buck with this 8-piece set, which includes three blender cups and a 250-watt motor for less than $50.

• Best Bottle: Oster MyBlend Personal Blender

A vibrant neon water bottle doubles as a blender jar for the perfect gym companion for just $25.

• Most Powerful: Hamilton Beach Power Blender with Sound Shield

A noise-blocking shield blocks the sound of the powerful 800-watt motor slicing through frozen fruit.

• Best Design: Frigidaire Retro Smoothie Maker

An affordable play on Smeg's retro-style appliances, this personal blender is all about aesthetics with a durable glass Mason jar taking the place of a standard plastic cup.

• Best On-The-Go: BlendJet 2

Save space by opting for this lightweight, USB-charged option that combines a water bottle and blender into a single device.

The Testing Set-Up

Making the cut for product testing required each blender to hit three criteria: rave reviews from online shoppers (or Shape's own e-commerce writers), an under-$50 price point, and classification as a personal blender. That means the device skips the pitchers common with traditional blenders for a blending jar that doubles as your drinking cup. Popular brands like Nutribullet, Ninja Kitchen, and Beast were knocked out of the running by these requirements, but it kept the final selections similar in size, price, and power aka around 300 watts.

Altogether, the team selected seven blenders for testing — and only five made the final list. Their selection was based on a performance during five product tests, which included mixing a fruit smoothie with seeded foods like blackberries and blending a green smoothie packed with fibrous celery and spinach. Less conventional tests were also attempted, like crushing up to six ounces of ice, dropping the closed blender jar off a 3-foot counter for durability, and chopping ingredients for salsa. (FYI, these tests provided mixed results with many motors failing to pulverize ice and over-processing ingredients to create an ultra smooth salsa.)

What to Look for In a Blender:

Finding the right blender for you depends on a few factors. Along with the power of the blender, it's important to keep in mind how you'll use the device. Elaborate recipes loaded with antioxidant-packed ingredients may need a bigger blending cup, while other features work better for someone always on-the-go. Here are the team's top suggestions:

• Motor size: Blenders under $50 often have less powerful motors with less than 1,000 watts. This impacts the speed of the device and can make it harder to slice through frozen ingredients. Opt for a higher wattage for a better blend.
• Jar size: Although brands label designs as personal, the term is unregulated (like clean beauty). Their blending cups can vary in size with some allowing just 12 ounces. Make note of the container size before committing, or you'll end up halving all your favorite recipes — or making them twice.
• Settings: Skipping extra features can help you save money, but it can also make your new device less useful. Options to pulse or set timers are worth the extra splurge for anyone with a chaotic schedule.

How to Clean Your Blender:

The compact design of personal blenders makes them easier to clean than standard designs with giant pitchers. In fact, most models let you blend soap and water directly in the jar — but always read the instruction manual for the brands' complete care instructions. Another way to save time? Look for options with dishwasher-safe pieces.