Drobo 5N review

Expandable storage without the fuss

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

We liked

The Drobo 5N is easy-to-use and set up, so you don’t have to worry about being a tech genius to be able to reap the rewards of extra storage. The expandandable design is also handy, meaning you can use the drives you want and need.

We disliked

While there are many positives here, its design could be a lot better. Yes, it’s fairly compact, but it looks like an old-fashioned computer tower.

Final verdict

Drobo has done an excellent job in creating an affordable storage device for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as freelancers and other individual processes. The 5N won’t win any design awards, but it’s a great option if you want all the benefits of a common NAS device but don’t want to end up confused with the technical know-how.

Nicholas Fearn is a freelance technology journalist and copywriter from the Welsh valleys. His work has appeared in publications such as the FT, the Independent, the Daily Telegraph, The Next Web, T3, Android Central, Computer Weekly, and many others. He also happens to be a diehard Mariah Carey fan!

Latest in Pro
A man holds a smartphone iPhone screen showing various social media apps including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Instagram and X
A worrying Apple Password App vulnerability reportedlyleft users exposed for months
DeepSeek
Fake DeepSeek installers are infecting your device with dangerous malware
AI tools.
Not even fairy tales are safe - researchers weaponise bedtime stories to jailbreak AI chatbots and create malware
Adobe Firefly
Adobe launches game-changing GenAI tools for video editing
Adobe AI agents
Adobe launches 10 new AI agents to automate key marketing workflows
Data leak
Top California sperm bank suffers embarrassing leak
Latest in Reviews
Viltrox 135mm F1.8 Lab lens for Nikon Z-mount, in the hand, attached to a Nikon Z6 II
I tried the stunning Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB lens for Nikon and it’s my new favorite portrait lens, except for one drawback
Scan 3XS GWP TR Ada main image
I tested the Scan 3XS GWP TR Ada - see what I thought of this incredibly powerful workstation
Poly Studio X52 with TC10 main image
I tested the Poly Studio X52 with TC10 - see what I thought of this conferencing solution
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (Intel) main image
I tested out the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 - read what I thought of this slim laptop with a big battery
Kyocera Ecosys P2235dn main image
I tried out the Kyocera Ecosys P2235dn - find out what's wrong with this b/w laser printer
Thrustmaster Sol-R
The Thrustmaster Sol-R breaks free from Earth’s atmosphere in style, with a fantastic stick for space fans