My only issues with command strips has been that I've had the paint come off the wall. This seems to be a problem with some types of paint but not others, where they don't bond as well with the wall/undercoat.

Obviously not a problem with the strips themselves, just something to bear in mind when using them.

Yeah, the painters did a terrible job painting our house; I think they put one thick layer on rather than multiple thin layers. Command strips hold about 1lb before pulling the paint off. Of course we also have paint that comes off if you accidentally rub against it while walking by so I don't blame the command strips...

Yep. We did our own painting and I think we made that mistake. Used the one-coat stuff that seems to be more "rubbery" and you end up with a thick layer that will just peel off once it gets damaged. Lesson learned.

In general with paint, the more you thin it, the more coats you need, but the longer it lasts once you are done. Also don't use water-based primer to cover oil (even though it says on the side of the can that it can do it!), use a shellac primer.

That second one I learned from painting my first condo; painted the ceiling, gave it a week to cure; taped off to do the walls, and after finishing the walls, the ceiling paint came off with the tape! Got a pro in there and he said "if it actually did what it says on the can, I'd use it because it's way easier cleanup"

What's the lesson from the second one?

Don't use water-based primer to coat oil-based paint.

I have a lot of painted brick wall I'm hesitant to drill into.

Command strips have worked absolutely fine (and also come off without a trace if need be) for relatively light loads such as paintings and other decoration, but two Command hooks could not hold up a laundry drying rack that weighs about 3 kg despite technically rated to do so.

They're generally designed for that weight with the forces going straight toward the floor (like hanging a picture, a hook for a broom, a coat hook or something). The further you have that weight from the wall, the less weight it can hold.

Interesting that they have worked for you on painted brick! That seems like a much rougher surface than the drywall I've used them on.

Curious if the strip failed or the paint on the brick failed?

That was actually not on the painted brick wall, but just... painted particleboard, I think? Either way, the strips failed, not the paint.

TESA is the brand on my side of the pond that has similar products, but I've never seen them advertised to work on coarser walls like drywall or - as another commenter mentioned - painted brick, they'll work best on tile. And then only for fairly light loads.

For heavier duty stuff, there's double-sided foam tape, ideally the one for bathrooms since they're reinforced with a fiberglass (I presume) mesh and are more water resistant. We use some of those to stick an ikea shower shelving unit in the corner in our bathroom, I didn't want to put screws in the walls. Also because I don't trust this thing won't start rusting and looking tatty within a few years.

Painted drywall is not coarse. Unless it's textured of course, but who does that? Command strips are explicitly designed for painted drywall.

For drywall/plaster, I'd much rather patch a simple hole than need to clean off the crap left behind by an adhesive strip. I can't speak to the Command brand specifically, but I've found that products touting features that run contrary to their nature ("no damage") generally fail to live up to those claims. And you won't know until it's time to move out.

I’ve had mixed results with command strips. A couple lightweight art pieces have stayed up just fine for 2.5 years now. Some slightly larger ones didn’t make it more than a year. I think the issue was not pressing the strip on the wall for long enough.

Ultimately, I think I’m done with command strips. They can work, but with hollow drywall and 1kg paintings it’s easier to use a single nail and picture hanger.

Command hooks are great, but in our last place we had a small kitchen/living room type space and things kept falling off due to fat etc in the air. Just an FYI really, but don't expect them to work well around cooking areas.

(This was in a London flat, victorian loft conversion, so the total room was like 4x5m. Sure most of you aren't so space constrained, especially Americans with your megahouses!)

I've had bad luck with them. I live in the desert and in the summer my art started falling off the walls.

I like command strips for lighter things. But once in a while I'll have a picture frame drop off the wall years after it was attached with a command strip. Startling. When I reattach them, I don't use command strips except as stabilizers.

I almost exclusively use Command strips: pictures, mirrors, and other wall decor, as well as seasonal decor.

The removal technique is crucial, pulling out will rip paint off the wall, pulling down will not. That was a lesson learned the hard way.