PopBabies Portable Blender Blender Review

Similar to other battery-powered blenders like the BlendJet 2 or the NutriΒullet GO, it's light and small, so you can put it in a backpack or easily store it in a kitchen cupboard.

The PopΒabies Portable Βlender has a decent build quality. The motor base and gears are made of plastic, and there's a small flap covering the micro-USΒ charging port. There's a rubber ring on the bottom of the motor base to help keep the blender from moving around on your counter, and the lid for the jar has a plastic loop so you can hang it from a hook or a bag strap. Unlike the BlendJet 2, which has a motor base with built-in blades, this blender's blades are built into the jar. Unfortunately, the jar's opening is small (4.8 cm in diameter), and the fixed blades can be difficult to clean. Also, the bottom of the motor base isn't quite flush with the sides at some points. If you want a portable blender that feels sturdier, you might prefer the Magic Bullet Portable Blender.

The jar is meant for single-serve smoothies and other drinks and has a 14-ounce capacity up to the maximum fill line. The manufacturer says not to fill it over 2/3 full with ingredients.

The jar has a narrow opening that can't fit most regular-size ice cubes, so it also comes with a tray that makes mini ice cubes and a funnel to help with adding ingredients. This design can be an inconvenience, especially when cleaning the blender by hand. That said, the manufacturer advertises it as a safety feature since it's difficult or impossible for someone to reach into the jar and touch the blades. If you think you'll find the small jar opening annoying, you might want to look at the BlendJet 2.

The jar and lid are made of plastic. The jar is dishwasher-safe, but the manufacturer doesn't indicate if the lid, funnel, or mini ice cube tray can go in the dishwasher.

It has four sharp blades: two that point up and two that point downward. You can't remove them from the jar, but you can clean the jar and blades in the dishwasher.

There's a screw-on lid for the jar with a built-in plastic loop. Unfortunately, the manufacturer doesn't specify if it's dishwasher-safe.

The PopBabies Portable Blender comes with a micro-USΒ to USΒ-A cable for charging the blender. Unlike the NutriΒullet GO and the BlendJet 2, its manual indicates that you can use it while it's charging. The manufacturer says the battery provides about 20 charges, and each charge lasts 20 seconds. They also note to charge it for 3-4 hours the first time you use it but that afterward, one hour is enough to charge it fully.

• PopBabies Portable Blender motor base
• 14-oz jar with non-removable blades
• Lid
• Micro-USB to USB-A charging cable
• Mini ice cube tray
• Funnel (for pouring ingredients into jar)
• User manual and recipe guide

The PopBabies Portable Blender is okay for small batches of fibrous ingredients. If you use it for a smoothie with leafy greens like kale, you need to blend for several minutes to get the smoothest possible blend. Since the blender stops automatically after each 20-second blending cycle, you need to press the button to restart it over and over. We had to keep the blender plugged in for the battery to last. It still doesn't fully process the kale and, in the end, produces a grainy puree. Some portable blenders are capable of making a much smoother blend, such as the NutriBullet Flip.

It has a similar performance when filled, but you need to run more than one 20-second cycle. It makes a smoother blend than the BlendJet 2 and the NutriBullet GO but still produces a grainy puree with ingredients like kale after several minutes of blending.

The PopΒabies Portable Βlender struggles to crush ice. If you use regular ice cubes (not mini ones made in the included ice tray), it's difficult to fit them through the jar's small opening. The blades can process them a bit but are quickly jammed with ice. As a result, the leftover cubes have to be melted with water to get them out of the jar. Also, please note that the manufacturer says processing regular-sized ice cubes can damage the blender's motor, so it's not intended for this purpose. While most portable blenders aren't great for crushing ice, not all come with similar warnings, and some are reasonably good at it, like the Ninja Blast Max BC251.

The results are better if you use ice from the included mini ice cube tray. The tray makes 45 two-gram ice cubes (regular ice cubes are about 30 grams each). If you add them all to the jar, it takes about a minute to make crushed ice with an okay texture. There are still a few unprocessed pieces, and the ice isn't snow-like.

The PopBabies Portable Blender isn't good for making nut butter. It's a long process, and to avoid blade jams, you need to follow the manufacturer's recommendation to hold the blender horizontally and shake it the whole time. It doesn't make completely smooth nut butter, but it's mostly uniformly blended and easy to spread. The Cuisinart EvolutionX Cordless Rechargeable Personal Blender isn't any easier to use for this purpose but produces smoother nut butter.

The PopBabies Portable Blender is quiet for a blender, so you probably won't find it particularly loud when blending a smoothie. However, some battery-powered blenders are even quieter, like the NutriBullet GO or Fresh Juice Portable Blender.

Like most personal blenders, the PopBabies Blender has one speed setting, so you can't slowly ramp up the speed or adjust it to suit different recipes.

There's a button on the motor base that starts a 20-second blending cycle when pushed. It takes a moment for the motor to engage after you push the button, which is slightly annoying. You can also press the button quickly to simulate a pulse mode.

The PopΒabies Portable Βlender can be hard to clean. The blades are fixed inside the jar, which has a narrow opening, so you need to use a brush or sponge with a handle to clean any food trapped around the blades. You might also need to shake the jar with soap and water to help dislodge stubborn residue.