So I wanted to get this because it was on sale at GNC for $30... I figured good deal right, make protein shakes in cups that you can drink straight out of, sounds like a plan right? boy was I mistaken.

VALUE: 6/10 - for $29 bucks you get what you pay for.

EFFECTIVENESS: 5/10 - Here is some of the problems with this blender. 1) If you throw in ice first and then your ingredients such as fruits/powders etc, and you turn it on, all you will see is the blades trying to move but in a stuck position. Its horrible with ice. What you honestly have to do is throw in the ingredients (cut up into small pieces by hand) first, add some liquid (water or milk) and then blend it. Stop it. Shake the cup around. Add a little bit of ice. Shake. repeat. then add protein powder. What a hassle and waste of product. 2) it leaks, the cover seal is horrible and this product overheats if you try to blend it for longer then 3 minutes.

OVERALL: 6/10 - Again you get what you pay for. So don't cheap out even if this thing is on sale. Opt for something more expensive. It's like my mom says, "when you buy junk you end up paying for it twice"

i bought one of these last year at GNC when i was looking for a new blender, but didn't want the traditional bulky ones you find at stores like Walmart, etc.

it includes two 28 FL OZ cups that attach to the blender and flip top lids making it easy to drink of when you're on-the-go. it also has a 300-watt motor which is around your average blender but half the size which helps saving counter top space. i never had a much of problem with it crushing ice or mixing anything, although i recommend adding liquid first else because stuff tends to stick to it sometimes. the bottles don't keep lingering smells either

it also comes with a recipe book too. this is not just for mixing up protein shakes, i've also put pancake mix in here and eggs; i'm sure there's plenty of other things you could mix with this too. at the time i purchased this i was an employee GNC (ex employee now) but with my discount i believe i for it for around $15. which is a really good deal. i'm not sure if they still sell these, but i'm gonna guess the regular price for this was around $25-30? i will not that some of the logos such as locking the blender part on wore off after a while, not that big of a deal though. make sure you screw on the tops tight or they will leak a little.

overall is a good product, if you're looking for a new blender check your local GNC to see if they still carry these. smaller than your average blender, mixes stuff up well plus it's two shaker bottles that you can take with you.