I think they are a waste since there are much more improved ways of getting a cake flat.
I for instance take and place a boiling pan of water into the oven and keep it in the oven through out the entire baking process.
Another technique that is works is right after the cake has been taken out of the oven, take a towel and push the dome right back into the cake. It works great, I even take a towel and use a cake pan to help with the pushing.
I agree with LadyCake.
I bought some about a year ago and used them twice. I can get the same effect with a flower nail in the middle of each cake and it is much less work.
I've seen bake even strips at the store before, but how do they work? the pakage didn't ahve instructions on it.
I've always just trimmed teh top of my cakes to level them.
I don't like them, don't think they work well at all-I have leveled the cakes or even used the water bath idea with great results-the strips really don't seem to hold up at all. But then, there may very well be cakers that swear by them (as opposed to AT them). 
I never use them and what I do to flatten cakes is, as soon as I take them out of the oven, I flip them onto my cooling rack. When they're cooled down, they're flat! 
I bought them. They are a waste of money like a lot of other baking supplies! I have used them & didn't like them at all. There is no difference between using them & not using them. They cost a lot & aren't worth that money! You could buy other supplies w/ your money.
Mouse, I need to try the pan of water. That's interesting. Plus I need a new oven!!!!!!!!!!
I didn't like the bake even strips either. I am going to try Mouse's trick next time I bake a cake. Just put a towel over the cake and press the dome back into the cake immediately after removing cake from oven. Is that correct?
All right, I'll dare to be different! Go easy on me.
I love my bake strips!! 
My cakes always hump in the middle and the lowest points (usually the corners and edges) are always below the top of the cake pan.
So since I need a 2" cake to torte and fill to get a 2 1/4" cake (sheet cake), I use the strips and then my cakes bake evenly right to the top of the pan. I never have to waste any cake by levelling them and I have a perfectly even cake that looks great after it's iced.
This is especially important for me when I'm doing large sheet cakes.
Although, I've never heard of the water bath yet. I'll definitely have to give that a try.
One more thing, if you do try them, be sure to THOROUGHLY SOAK them in water before you use them. I didn't (I just wet them under the tap)and I burnt my first one!! 
Is it possible that some of us have this problem and some don't because of the altitude we live at?? I know that does affect the baking of cakes????
Well, I have done both. When I first got them, they worked really great--for the 1st 2 or 3 times. After that I saw they were a waste. I wasn't going to buy them again. It's funny because I still have the originals. I just never use them.I have also found that flipping them out to cool right from the oven flattens them out. But I think that I will try mouse's water trick. That would be so easy! Thanks for the tip, mouse!!
~Tanya
When I baked my first cake I used the strips and my cake kind of sloped towards the top ! A really odd shape. The sides came away from the pan and sloped upwards. I don't know if it was because of the strips. The second cake I made I forgot to use the strip and the sides came out great. I just pressed down on the cake as described by cali4dawn and didn't have to level the cake. I don't think I'm going to use those strips. But I'm curious to see if my cake sides will slope again if I do use them. I should try it sometime.
I didn't like the bake even strips either. I am going to try Mouse's trick next time I bake a cake. Just put a towel over the cake and press the dome back into the cake immediately after removing cake from oven. Is that correct?
Yep, that's right.
Also when you have the small saucepan of boiling water in the oven, it also seems to help with keeping the cake moist.
i agree with tracey4. i have used mine every time and every time my cakes come out perfect!! they don't pull away from the sides, the top is always flat and even. i have two and two is all i need. i don't know why some people are having problems with them? 
Hi mOuse! When you put the towel on top of cake after taken it out of oven, does the top of cake stick to the towel? or do you just get a little crumbs on towel? I have used the bake even stripes and they work fine, but I don't always remember to use them. I generally raise my cake pan/s with batter in them and just allow it to hit a flat surface and hope that it works, plus it gets rid of any air bubbles in pan/s. So far, it has worked. I'm going to try mOuse's method with the boiling water etc. Thanks mOuse for your tips and techniques. 
Tracey4, I'm with you. I use them always and love them! They weren't very expensive with a michaela cupon and I've had the same set for almost 3 years. I use a convection oven and they always come out great! i guess it's a matter of prefrence
(I think I spelled that wrong)
I've seen bake even strips at the store before, but how do they work? the pakage didn't ahve instructions on it.
I've always just trimmed teh top of my cakes to level them.
The strips are to be soaked with water, wrapped around the pan and secured with the pin that is supplied. They are supposed to conduct the heat more evenly.
The only time I use them is on my 3" high 8" round pan. I think it's just a mental thing but it seems to make a difference in height..who knows!!
I have a set of the baking strips and I also have a set of terry cloth strips I've used many times. They both make my cakes bake straight up the sides of the pan and nice and flat on top. I don't always use them just because I don't always think to. I'm hesitant to turn my hot cakes onto the rack because when I have, to use the pan again right away, they've cracked because of the dome on top. I haven't tried pressing the top down or the water pan. I use a large flower nail in my larger cakes and those bake up flat as well. With the strips they're flat, without I will usually have a top to level off some. But I don't mind much since that's my favorite part of the cake. Ü
The first time I used the strips it seemed to make a big differnce, I had a nice even cake. But since then I haven't had any luck w/ them and I'm getting discouraged. My cakes seem to be pulling away from the sides more at the top, so even when they are leveled the sides aren't straight 
. It's so frustrating. I was wondering if I was putting too much cake release in but now I'm guessing it was the baking strips? Just keep practicing I guess.
Maybe you aren't using quite enough batter. I guess it might be the pans you're using. I'm not sure the name of the Wilton pan's I'm using but the cakes bake straight up the sides. I'd say use a little more batter and don't give up on the baking strips. They work for me. I really feel that I get a higher more even cake when I use them. They do need to be soaked in water a while to make sure they're saturated before you squeeze out the excess o use. Running them under the faucet isn't enough.
Guess this newbie might as well put in 2 cents worth. I started out with the baking strips and have had good results with them, but once in a while (usually as I take the cake out of the oven) I realize I forgot...and the cake still is okay. It just seems to me to bake more evenly and be more moist with the strips. You definitely do need to soak them really well and squeeze the excess water out!
I started using safety pins on mine for the larger pans, and I use those metal clamps (for office files, etc.) to put the strips around even the shaped pans, helps them a lot! Janice
Thanks for the tips, I haven't given up on them completely. Yesterday I did try using a water bath while baking and had the temp set at 325 instead of 350. That seemed to help too.
I have noticed that my cakes will only come away from the sides if the sides get hit with cooking spray or grease. So if I see the recipe doesnt call for greasing the sides, bottom only then thats what I do...I even tested the rule, and it will. As for making the cake flat....I find that I like my cakes raised in the middle from time to time....but when I dont want it to I will flip the cake over on a board covered with parchment and it hasnt stuck yet.
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