Introduction. We evaluated the water absorption, solubility, and compressive strength of different cements and resin-modified glass ionomer cements (RMGICs), namely AdhesorA (R), Ketac (TM) Cem, Ortho Band Paste LC (TM), Glass Ionomer Band Cement, and Transbond (TM) Plus. Our aims were to compare the mechanical and physical properties of the cements widely used in orthodontics and to define the most suitable cements in an oral environment in terms of those characteristics.