If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best protein shake blender for new dieters is, then I’d recommend the NutriBullet 600-Watt High-Speed Blender/Mixer as the best one.
This won’t be news to gym enthusiasts, but protein smoothies are where it’s at for quick, wholesome nutrition that tastes good.
Latecomers to this sensible craze have taken the concept beyond the shaken bottle of our bulked-up forebears.
To help you find the best protein shake blender, we’ll explain what matters most in these special units and review a top selection.
Here are the top protein shake blenders we’ll be reviewing:
- Ninja 700-Watt Personal Blender
- NutriBullet 600-Watt High-Speed Blender/Mixer
- Magic Bullet Blender
- Oster 250-Watt My Blend
- Hamilton Beach Personal Smoothie Blender
What are the Advantages of a Protein Shake Blender?
You don’t need a blender to mix dry powder, though it’s easier and cuts down on those chewy lumps of yesteryear.
However, today’s personal blenders offer features that older-style blenders don’t.
These convenient machines let you blend right in your travel cup for fast preparation and cleanup.
They have surprising slicing and crunching power for meals on the go.
Why Not Just Drink an All-Powder Shake?
This is the essential point I missed as a young gym rat—okay, I was more a mouse but stay with me.
I toughed out lumpy powders that wouldn’t mix no matter how long I shook them … but I was missing a lot of the nutrition I was chasing.
A good protein shake is better with added fruit and veggies.
It’s not just for taste appeal, though that’s important: our bodies assimilate nutrition better with the fiber and enzymes of those other foods.
Quick travel smoothies weren’t an easy option back then: but they are now.
Finding the Best Protein Shake Blender
To max out the convenience and performance you’re looking for, there are important features to consider.
Begin by thinking about what shakes you’re actually interested in making.
The Power You Need
You want convenience, so make sure your chosen blender has the power to handle the foods you’ll be giving it.
There’s little convenience in a machine that chokes on the ingredients.
Blending capacity is measured in watts. Hard foods like nuts and ice need a 600-watt unit or more for best results.
The lower range is under 300 watts—perfect for powder and a banana, but not too much else.
There are beast blenders of up to 1500 watts that can turn your cutting board into a smoothie, but make sure you need the extra wattage: it doesn’t come cheap.
Bigger isn’t always better
Most protein shake blenders are made for a single portion. Day-old smoothies are not the rage
Cup Size Matters
Standard shaker sizes are from 14 to 20oz … these aren’t cement mixers. These blenders are made for personal convenience, not parties.
Portability
There are cordless models, but they don’t have a lot of power.
Generally corded models are most affordable and satisfactory—just find one with a travel cup if you intend to take them with you.
Extras
There’s a lot of variety in these blenders. Here are some of most popular options.
- Lids: These come in a wild assortment to make sure nothing matches anything else. The most useful variations involve locking caps and flip tops, so you don’t pour your smoothie out before it’s time.
- Handsfree Operation: There are lots of press and lock blenders in this category. It’s handy when your in a hurry and want to wash up as you blend.
- Shatter-resistant Cup: This safety feature makes sense if you’re taking your cup with you, and the best protein shake blender models have BPA-free plastic.
- Pulse mode: A nice option for extra power when you need it. You don’t want to bog down on ice cubes.
Quality Counts
One of the biggest price variations have to do with construction.
You definitely want BPA-free materials to avoid blending toxins into your workout formula, but the rest is up to you.
Metal is usually a sign of rugged built … and costliness. Cheaply made machines can do the job; though, maybe not for long.
Consider Your Budget
If you want a destination blender, the market is certainly there for you. You can get by with less, too.
Be careful: there are knockoffs and substandard models that are wastes of money no matter the price.
Five of the Best Protein Shake Blenders
Ninja 700-Watt Personal Blender
Ninja is a big name in blenders, and the Ninja 700-Watt Personal Blender unit doesn’t disappoint. It doesn’t take up much space and is great for individual portions.
The blades are in the cap: just screw it on the cup, invert, and twist into the base … and push to turn it on.
The system is safe, because it requires the cup to be securely seated and secured before the sharp metal blades can operate.
The 700-watt motor can chop ice or coffee beans, and it easily liquefies tough veggies like kale.
It doesn’t quite double as a food processor, but it does render ice and frozen foods to a smooth consistency.
It’s not whisper-quiet but not as loud as some blenders. PRO TIP: Wrap a towel around it to muffle the noise.
The 16-oz cups are BPA-free and have an easy-to-seal lid that opens for drinking.
At just 3.5 lbs, the entire unit can be packed away for traveling—or just take the cup after blending and go. The blades, cups and lids are dishwasher safe.
PROS
- 700-watt assembly is effective for blending fruits and vegetables
- Unit separates into base and cup for easy storage
- Blends shake inside in the easy-to-seal cups
- Comes with two (2) 16-oz BPA-free no-leakage plastic cups
CONS
- Cup fluting and angles require care when cleaning
- Not safe for hot liquids
- Cups aren’t compatible with other Ninja blenders
NutriBullet NBR-1201
Another top name in blenders, the NutriBullet NBR-1201 is a tough little machine.
It specializes in pureeing fibrous foods like carrots—it’s a liquefier as much as a blender. It works by inverting the cup after screwing on the blade cap, so it’s safe and easy to use.
It’s plenty strong, too—the clever design uses the 600-watt motor to maximum effect.
The blades are one of its secrets: included are an Extractor blade, which works like a powerful blender, and a Milling blade that chops dry foods like nuts, grains, and seeds.
The package comes with a handled cup and both 18 and 24 oz sizes—all made with resilient BPA-free plastic. The unit comes apart for easy storage.
The caveat is that it’s surprisingly delicate for some users. You aren’t supposed to remove the gasket ring—but it regularly drops off on its own.
The plastic tab on the lid will likely break over time, but you can still use the cup with some care.
Many folks swear by this model, and it does a fantastic job with raw veggies and offers good versatility.
It’s almost like a small food processor, and makes championship babyfood and soups—and of course, protein shakes.
PROS
- 600-watt motor for drinks, soups and pureeing
- Two separate blades for versatile Extracting (pureeing) and Milling (dry chopping)
- Easy-to-use, safe design
- Simple to clean
- Comes with three (3) BPA-free plastic cups
CONS
- Somewhat noisy for its size
- Cups are incompatible with other Bullet blenders
- Some reports of leakage and rust
Magic Bullet Blender
The Magic Bullet is one step down in size and power from the NutriBullet, but has the same ease of use and easy cleanup.
Its compact 250-watt motor can blend and puree on a small scale for single-servings with simple push-button pulsing.
There’s only one blade for pureeing and blending, but three cups are included—a tall 18oz, a short 12oz cup, and an 18oz Party Mug.
All new units are made using BPA-free plastic and have quick-sealing to-go lids.
It works fine for protein shakes and green smoothies, but it’s a bit disappointing in the ice-crushing department.
It will crack ice cubes into smaller chunks, but forget slushies. You’ll get better results with ice already broken up.
You’ll also need to be careful to seat the cup into the base before firing it up to avoid deterioration.
This is a nice protein powder blender for quick shakes with most ingredients. Don’t expect it to replace a full-sized standard unit, but it works fine to zap up a quick gym smoothie.
PROS
- 250-watt motor for small batches of shakes and smoothies
- Easy-to-use, safe design
- Simple to clean
- Comes with three (3) BPA-free plastic cups with no-leak lids
CONS
- Noisy for its size
- Doesn’t completely crush ice
- Cups are incompatible with other Bullet blenders
Oster 250-Watt My Blend
The Oster 250-Watt My Blend is hard to beat for value.
The venerable company has lots of experience in blenders, and puts the modest 250-watt motor to work with surprisingly good results.
They also add some unique features and styling.
The slender unit fits even a crowded countertop, and separates for compact storage or traveling.
It operates as a typical inversion blender—attach the blade cap and insert into the base, then turn it on with a simple press and turn motion.
You can wash the cutting board while it does its thing.
The BPA-free, dishwasher safe blending cup holds 20 oz: plenty for a large individual portion.
It does a good job with smoothies using a light amount of ice and frozen ingredients, but it leaves chunks if you ask too much.
Knowing this could be a problem, Oster has given the motor a fuse to cut off power before burning out. It will restart once it cools down.
You won’t get great results with seeds or fibrous veggies, but it creams simple ingredients without issues.
This is one of the best protein shake blender models for basic powder and fruit smoothies.
It comes in four snazzy colors—white and blue, green, orange, or red—and won’t dent your wallet. Just keep the ingredients simple.
PROS
- 20oz BPA-free cup with travel lid
- Automatic cut-off to avoid burnout
- Mild noise
- Assorted colors
- Inexpensive
CONS
- Small 175-watt motor has trouble with a banana
- Limited lifespan for many users
Hamilton Beach Personal Smoothie Blender
The Hamilton Beach Personal Smoothie Blender is perhaps king of the cheapies, but it has a few caveats.
It does a great job with liquids and powder, and can handle a few frozen berries—but don’t expect too much from the 175-watt motor.
This is one of the lightest blenders on the market at under two pounds, and it has some features that make it easy to live with.
The solid base, wrap-around cord storage, and pulse button give it the feel of a “real” blender.
The 14oz cup has helpful measurement markings, and its travel lid works great for smoothies on the go.
The stainless-steel blades do okay with easy jobs, but it does leave chunks of fruits and veggies.
You can get a few ice cubes to crunch down with judicious use of the pulse button, but you’ll have to get used to stray chunks.
Don’t even think about hot liquids, please.
This is a popular economy choice that works great for simple smoothies. It’s a nice option if you don’t like the flip-over inversion design.
It has an assortment of colors and is pretty quiet—if only because 175-watts can’t make a lot of noise.
PROS
- 14oz BPA-free cup with travel lid
- Not noisy
- Assorted colors
- Wrap-around cord storage
- Inexpensive
CONS
- Small 175-watt motor has trouble with a banana
- Limited lifespan for many users
Conclusion
To help you sort through today’s market explosion of offerings, we’ve offered a selection of the best protein shake blender models for personal use.
Our personal favorite is the NutriBullet 600-Watt High-Speed Blender/Mixer for its versatility and easy of use.
Power is probably the most important feature, because struggling with your smoothie is not the on-the-go convenience you’re looking for here.
One final tip: The units we’ve reviewed are dishwasher safe, but you don’t really need one. Just put liquid dishwashing soap in the cup and give it a blend.
With one of these handy blenders, you’ll never need to deal with lumpy, sickly-sweet powder again!
