Appearances don't deceive – this blender is pretty and powerful, I'm not entirely sure how I managed without it

The ethos is simple: ‘Blend, flip and sip’, which is exactly what this innovative tumbler blender does with ease. Touted as one of the best blenders to arrive on the market, I was expecting great things from the new Ninja BlendBoss – it's safe to say I was not left disappointed.

Strictly speaking, the BlendBoss falls into the 'bullet blender' category, which is where you'll find the NutriBullet and plenty of other personal blenders. However, to place it in this category feels a little reductive. I've never seen such a vivid colour palette on offer, nor such a stylish silhouette. They're normally black or grey and smaller, so not the kind that you'd want to show off, but the BlendBoss is one you want to show off.

Having tested this on smoothies, juices and crushed ice (even hummus, just to show the versatility), I can assure you that this powerful blender is nothing short of impressive.

This latest Ninja model has honestly made making smoothies and protein shakes part of my everyday routine because the whole process is so simple to blend and go – even the clean up takes little to no time. Win, win.

Ninja BlendBoss: Specifications

Unboxing and first impressions

There's no denying that the first impression is a good one, thanks to the vibrant shades of the design: this one is Watermelon Bubblegum, which is a glorious combination of vivid pink and green, but there are five different colour choices to suit all kitchen colour schemes.

As someone who doesn't have much colour in their kitchen, aside from my Le Creuset cast iron casserole dishes, I thought I would like the brightness, but in actual fact, I love the vibrancy it adds to my space.

Nutribullet were one of the first brands to offer a handle attached to the blender, but it slipped on and off the main body of the blender, so could be a bit of a faff. You can see that Ninja has really thought about portability with the BlendBoss design, making it much more suitable busy smoothie drinkers who are always on the go.

I particularly love the nod to the viral Stanley Cup trend with the iconic tumbler silhouette that became widely covetable last year.

What is it like to use?

Not that a blender is ever that difficult to use, but this model could not be easier to incorporate into your daily routine. No matter if you are making smoothies, juices or even dips (as I did to test its blending power), all it takes is one push of a button.

Its simple and intuitive design makes it super easy to lock into place. The buttons are easy to navigate, thanks to clear and uncomplicated labels.

The innovative 'Auto-iQ technology' takes the guesswork out of knowing how much or how little to blend. The intelligent design utilises targeted pulse, pause, and blend patterns with pre-set automatic programs specifically designed for smoothies and general blending. This technology ensures a perfect consistency every time, from juice to smoothies; there are no lumps or chunks.

The pulse program offers greater control of pulsing and blending – short presses administer short pulses, longer presses for longer pulses.

The incredibly powerful 1100-watt motor drives the blades, making light work of blending any fruit or frozen produce – even crushing ice to snow in seconds. To accommodate such a powerful motor, the base features sucker pads to secure the blender in place, ensuring it doesn't move while whirling around at such force.

Most other bullet blenders tend to average at 800 watts and rely on a single speed and setting. With 1,100 watts and four pre-sets (blend, smoothie, ice crush, and pulse), this is one of the most versatile models on the market.

The only slight downside of having so much power is the noise level. It does make a high volume of noise pollution – for example, I have to shut the kitchen door so my nervous dog doesn't feel frightened. But it is most certainly not a problem, once you see the incredible results.

Who would it suit

This innovative blender would suit anyone who wants to prepare their own drinks at home without the clean-up and aftermath that comes with most blenders. Because the blender is essentially the tumbler you take on the go, all you have to do is remove the lid with the blade and replace it with the lid with the straw and away you go.

What is it like to clean?

Once you've finished making your drink of choice, the actual blender becomes the tumbler, so the only thing to clean at this point is the blade, which you can run under the hot tap and clean with significant ease. You can dip it into a bowl of hot, soapy water if required, but even that is easy to do without exposing the top part to any water.

The whole washing process is easy, but made even easier by rinsing all components straight after use to ensure nothing is left to build up.

Once you've finished with your tumbler and straw, you can safely pop them both into a washing-up bowl with a few drops of regular dish soap. You can also add the cup, straw and lid into the dishwasher if you so wish.

Ninja BlendBoss: The ice test

We always have to do the ice test when testing blenders because that becomes a must-have for refreshing summer smoothies and iced coffees. Plus, put quite simply, this is often where many blenders fail.

Crushing ice is normally where blenders trip up, but this is a powerful model. Our e-commerce editor, Laura, who has tested lots of blenders with different amounts of ice, recommended adding a splash of water or giving the blender a shake to help it along. In this case, the BlendBoss was fine without any help. It's a do-it-all appliance.

The hummus

When running our tests, we don't normally think of my bullet blenders for making dips. The lower water content makes it hard for the shape to blend a truly smooth hummus, for example. The BlendBoss setting and impressive 1100-watt motor base make it perfect for tackling thicker, trickier mixes.

While I don't necessarily feel the BlendBoss was designed to make dips, given its powerful blending ability, it was only right to give it a try – and it passed with flying colours.

I added a tin of chickpeas, a teaspoon of tahini, a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of sea salt, and olive oil to the blender and then used the 'Blend IQ' setting to blitz it automatically. Thanks to the start tech, it determines how much it needs to blend, finishing only when it's the perfect consistency. The results were a perfectly smooth hummus dip.

Ninja BlendBoss verdict: Is it worth it?

This bold blender is more than just a gimmick. The powerful 1100-watt motor makes light work of pretty much anything you throw at it.

Engineered for seamless portability, the easy-carry handle and a cup-holder-friendly design make it super versatile. Having the ability to blend and take away in one cup makes this an effortless design that is super easy to incorporate into your everyday life, which, for me, has meant adding more fresh ingredients into my diet. You can also pop the lid on and leave your drink in the fridge, which is another bonus to get more longevity.

Since having this easy-to-use blender at home, I have been making healthy smoothies as part of my daily morning routine. I used to frequently visit a local place to get my favourite smoothie (Any Old Iron, a delicious beetroot and spinach smoothie), but at £5 a time, I would consider it a treat. Whereas now I'm having one almost every day.

I'm not sure what I did before I had this ready-to-go tumbler blender in my kitchen. I certainly had more food waste, because now I throw pretty much anything in a smoothie to make my own concoctions.

How we tested

At woman&home, how we test blenders is a uniform and rigorous process to ensure we compare like-for-like on all the models we measure. We apply three standard tests. The first is making a standard smoothie. This is a basic function that every blender should whizz through with ease – even when using frozen fruit, because this is not only icy and tough, but also seedy. I also add spinach and oats, because they're also fibrous and difficult to chop through. If the blender can break that down into a delicious drink, it's a resounding success.

The next test is on hummus. Due to the lower water content, plenty of blenders struggle more to produce smooth results. It's not a recipe you'll use daily, but this test is great for assessing how well your blender handles more hardy tasks, from smoothie bowls to pastes.

The final test is on ice. Some models find it challenging to crush ice into crystals, so it's an important part of our tests. We always make sure to put blenders through this test, even though lots of them sadly fail.

After carrying these tests over several weeks to give you an in-depth breakdown of where it sits on the blending market, in terms of it's capabilty and value for money and whether it is suitable for all kitchens. By doing all of this, we aim to give you a comprehensive idea of exactly what this blender would be like to use in your own home.