3M Command Décor Metal Wall Shelf

Why this one

The smallest thing on this list and the only one whose weight figure was measured against the surface you actually have. Five pounds is not generous - a stack of paperbacks, a small lamp, a plant - but it is a five pounds 3M will print on cardboard. The shelf is metal rather than acrylic, so it does not flex when you load the front edge, and the strips come away clean when you move out.

What it had to clear

• part of 3M’s no-damage strip system, which is rated for painted drywall rather than only tile and glass
• a load figure printed on the box, not one buried in the reviews
• refill strips sold separately, so the shelf outlives the strips

One of 8 compared in 8 Damage-Free Wall Shelves That Actually Hold in a Rented Bedroom.