9 best bullet blenders for speedy smoothies and chilled cocktails

Best: Overall

• Guarantee: 2 years
• Power: 800W
• Dimensions: 19cm x 15cm x 36cm
• Accessories: 2 x 600ml cups, 2 x spout lids, vacuum cup, recipe book

It may not have the max-power wattage of some of the other blenders we tested, but this model has a trick up its sleeve that the others don’t. A clever vacuum system removes the air around the contents of the bullet before it blends and this results in a less aerated and altogether, well, smoother smoothie that the brand claims retains more of your ingredients’ nutritional value. Our tester found smoothies didn’t separate as they had done with her previous choice and also thought this looked great left out on the worktop. For a powerful model, it also didn’t take up too much room.

Best: Value bullet blender

• Guarantee: 3 years
• Power: 350W
• Dimensions: 15.5cm x 12cm x 32.5cm
• Accessories: 600ml blending jug, 600ml cup, sipper lid

With its separate toughened glass blender jug, this Lakeland choice feels more robust than some of the other models we looked at. There are no bells and whistles, as there are only two controls: blend and pulse. But it feels very solidly weighted, and the caps on both the jug and the accompanying bottle are in good-quality materials, so there are no splashes on the worktop or spills in your gym bag. Good value for money.

Best: For the basics

• Guarantee: 1 year
• Power: 300W
• Dimensions: 13cm x 13cm x 38cm
• Accessories included: 600ml cup, spout lid

The blingy black and rose gold accents on this bullet blender mean it will look great in even the most glam kitchen, and our tester liked the way it is narrow enough to tuck into the space beside her toaster and kettle for morning smoothie-making. Using ingredients such as kale and spinach required a bit of jiggling, but the pulse function soon helped blitz through them.

Best: For nut butters

• Guarantee: 1 year
• Power: 1,100W
• Dimensions: 30cm x 17cm x 17cm
• Accessories included: 700ml power nutri cup, 400ml power nutri bowl, spout lid, storage lid

Our tester used this powerful blender to tackle everything from wheatgrass drinks to pancake batter and icy cocktails with great results. The nutri bowl attachment was a hit, allowing denser ingredients like almonds or peanuts to be transformed into silky nut butters. Very versatile and with the build quality we’ve come to love from Ninja products, this is a really good choice if you’re serious about your smoothies.

Best: For beginners

• Guarantee: 2 years
• Power: 300W
• Dimensions: 13cm x 14cm x 36cm
• Accessories included: 500ml cup

You can’t argue with a £15 price tag, but will this budget blender be up to the job? If you want to use it every morning to make soft fruit smoothies, the answer is a resounding yes. There’s a pulse setting to help make sure you get every last piece blitzed before pouring from the glass bullet to the 500ml spouted cup, which is made from BPA-free plastic. This is a great option if you suspect your love for smoothies could be short-lived or just for summer, as it doesn’t take up much storage space either.

Best: For tough-to-blend ingredients

• Guarantee: 1 year
• Power: 1,000W
• Dimensions: 15cm x 15cm x 21cm
• Accessories included: 1l and 800ml cups, drinking and storage lids

There’s no excuse not to pack your healthy drink with greens, as this makes light work of stalks, seeds and all those tough-to-blend ingredients you may struggle to cope with if your blender is at the lower end of the power scale. We loved this Salter model’s ease of use, with the chunky cup twisting on and off to stop and start the blending. There’s a pulse mode too, which helps move things around the blending cup for even results in no time at all. This is a great all rounder.

Best: Quiet bullet blender

• Guarantee: 2 years
• Power: 1,000W
• Dimensions: 15cm x 15cm x 39.5cm
• Accessories included: 800ml and 500ml cups, drinking and storage lids

Our mum-of-three-teens tester expected this blender to be a flash in the pan, but was delighted to see that the fruit bowl emptied just as quickly after weeks of use. Of course, there were arguments about who got to use the drinking cup so she wished there had been the option to buy more. We also gave top marks for its power and low noise levels – even crushing ice for the grown-ups’ daiquiris wasn’t too painful to listen to.

Best for: Big families

• Guarantee: 1 year
• Power: 1,200W
• Dimensions: 20cm x 21cm x 43cm
• Accessories included: 900ml, 700ml and 500ml cups, 2 x flip-top lids, 1.8l blender pitcher with cap, pusher

A comprehensive selection of accessories come with this blender system, with three sizes of cups to suit all appetites. This was great for our tester couple, who could each grab a drink straight from the blender. The blitzing itself was done in a separate jug, and the large capacity meant this was a great choice for anyone who loves to cook and requires a strong blender for recipes beyond a breakfast smoothie.

Best for: Style

• Guarantee: 2 years
• Power: 10W
• Dimensions: 10.5cm x 9.5cm x 30cm
• Accessories included: 450ml cup

Our testers agreed this was hands-down the best looking of the bunch, with a quality casing and minimalist styling. There’s one power button to press once the cup is screwed into place, and once the travel lid was on we trusted it not to go everywhere. Charged via USB, there was enough (average) power there to get through the equivalent of 6-8 smoothies. Great to take along with you – margaritas in the park, anyone?