Agree. At the very least the cert needs to have at least a simulation of a real-world environment or processes. Textbook reading or listening to lectures for pure information is the lowest tier of knowledge IMO because it is easy to simply memorize and regurgitate. The real skill is taking that information, converting it to knowledge and being able to apply it to real-world problems to create solutions. The cert will only be able to take you so far but it should at least put you in that direction.

What are some certs that you believe are worth investing in (i.e. ones that do require hands-on learning)?

Mentioned in initial comment (probably could have been more clear that those are the certs that require hands on learning):

RHCSA/RHCE/CKA/CCIE are the first ones that come to mind.

Thanks for your response.

Do you believe that those certifications are solid investments for any IT professional (from developer and up) or only for those that are looking to become a SysAdmin/Network Engineer? (forgive me if my terminology isn't spot-on)

Agreed certs are for talking the talk, experience is for walking the walk. Consulting companies are root of majority of cert takers from my experience.