Axiom Stratus Ambient Air Cleaner
Ceiling-mounted air filters can help control airborne dust, but the microscopic particles posing the greatest risk to your health reach your lungs before the ceiling. Axiom’s freestanding Stratus air filter reduces dust at the source. Unlike wall or ceiling mounted units, this portable, 3-foot tall chimney-looking device slides where it’s needed. A 360° filter draws in dust from all directions and then a central fan propels clean air upward into the shop.
The Stratus stands tall in the dust-busting arena with its two-stage filter. A 1/2"-thick open-cell foam pre-filter catches larger particles. (Clean this sleeve with a vacuum or a quick water rinse.) The second filter is a 1-micron cylindrical-pleated canister offering 15x more surface area than a standard box-style air filter. When this filter eventually clogs, clean out the caked-in dust with a blast of compressed air.
This unit proved its worth in the warehouse shop that I share with several woodworkers. Even though the 66-pound unit was sturdy enough to withstand an accidental bump, the wide polyethylene base was easy to slide around. The 3-speed fan-generated less noise than a sander, even at its highest setting. My shopmates enjoyed the one-button control but missed having a remote with an auto-stop timer for scrubbing the air at the end of a workday.
Shipped fully assembled, the Stratus Air is available in two models. We tested the Stratus which has a powder-coated steel body and the pleated canister filter. The Stratus Pro features a stainless-steel body and active charcoal filter for more challenging applications.
—Tester, Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk
Overview
- Snags airborne dust at source
- 2-stage filter; 360° filtration
- Overall Dimensions:
- 16" D × 39" H; Weight: 66 lbs.
- Stratus: $499; Stratus Pro: $699
- Visit axiomstratus.com for more info.
