Best Wall Sconces for Bedrooms, Hallways and Bathrooms

Here are all nine wall sconces in this guide at a glance. "Location rating" means the fixture's dry, damp or wet listing, not a customer review score.

What works well as a wall sconce beside a bed may be the wrong choice for a hallway or a bathroom mirror, because each room requires something different from the fixture. For the light you want to read by the bed and that stays out of your eyes when you lie down. The fixture has to evenly illuminate the floor in a hallway without obstructing people passing by. It needs a location rating that suits the moisture in the room and light that hits your face, next to a bathroom mirror. Here are three picks for each room, along with tips on height and spacing.

What to Check Before You Buy a Wall Sconce

• Location rating. Dry rated fixtures are for rooms that don’t have any moisture. Damp rated fixtures are designed to handle humidity and condensation, the conditions on most bathroom walls away from direct spray. Wet-rated fixtures are designed to be in direct contact with water. If a sconce is appropriate for a particular location in the bathroom depends on its listing, the manufacturer's instructions and your local electrical code.
• Plug-in or hardwired.   A plug-in sconce mounts to the wall and runs a cord to an outlet, so it’s great for renters or walls without a junction box. A hardwired sconce is wired into the wiring inside the wall for a cleaner look and will usually require an electrician.
• Light direction. Downlights pool light under the fixture. Up/down designs wash the wall in opposite ways. The fixture was surrounded by a softer glow cast by glass and fabric shades.
• Projection. This is the depth of the sconce from the wall. In a narrow hallway where shoulders and bags brush past, a couple of inches makes a difference.
• Color temperature and CRI.  Color temperature is how warm or cool the light looks, and a typical warm-white range for bedrooms and living areas is 2700K to 3000K. CRI is a measure of how accurately light renders colors and is important for makeup and clothing. These are different specs so check both.

You can filter by finish, rating and style in the Modern Lights wall sconces collection.

Best Wall Sconces for Bedrooms

Good wall sconces for bedroom use free up nightstand space, put light where you read and keep glare off your pillow. Since they frame the headboard, they should also suit its width and style.

Valley Park Plug-In, Alturas Gold, Linen Shade

Hunter

Valley Park 6-inch 1-light Alturas Gold Plug-In Wall Sconce with White Linen Fabric Shade

$149.99

Plug-inBulb included3000K

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This one is a plug-in so you can add bedside lighting without tearing open a wall. It comes with a 3000K rated bulb - a warm white, perfect for winding down at nite. The Alturas Gold finish and white linen shade add a touch of soft hotel style.

Private Adjustable, Matte Black

CWI Lighting

Private Wall Lights Matte Black Adjustable

$130.00

Tilt and rotate headIntegrated LEDIndoor

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If you read in bed most nights, a tilting and rotating head lets you point the beam at the page, rather than across the room. That also makes it easier to read without illuminating your partner’s side. The matte black body fits modern and minimal bedrooms.

Amore Aged Brass Linen

Beacon Lighting

Amore 1 Light Aged Brass Linen Wall Sconce with White Shade

$109.00 $149.00

Aged brassPleated linen shadeDownlight

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The pleated linen shade and aged brass finish lean toward the classic side, a natural match for transitional and traditional bedrooms. It looks best as a pair, one on either side of the headboard. It is also the lowest priced bedroom pick, which is a plus when buying two.

Bedroom Sconce Height and Placement

Mount each sconce a few inches outside the edge of the headboard or centered over the nightstand so the light falls on your book, not the frame.

Use two sconces for a shared bed, or a wide headboard. One is enough for one reader or a narrow bed against the wall.

Finally, plan the switchover. Locate the switch for the fixture, or install a wall switch that is accessible from the bed.

Best Hallway Wall Sconces

Hallway wall sconces serve two purposes: evenly lighting the floor so no one trips, and keeping glare low for people walking toward them. You normally buy a few, so the end finish and size should look consistent through the whole run.

Barlon Polished Nickel

Millennium Lighting

7.13'' Barlon Polished Nickel 1 Light Wall Sconce

$89.90

Damp ratedHardwiredDownlight

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The Barlon has a small footprint on the wall and measures 9.25 inches tall with a clear water glass shade. It is damp rated and throws light down. The price makes it practical if you need four or five matching lights down a long hallway.

Carrington Isle Matte Black and Luxe Gold

Hunter

Carrington Isle 10.25-inch 1-light Matte Black and Luxe Gold Wall Sconce with Matte Black Metal Shade

$139.99

Damp indoorMetal shade8.25" projection

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The plain hallway gets character from the matte black finish and luxe gold detail. The bulb is hidden from the side by a solid metal shade, although the precise spread depends on the bulb you select. It sticks out 8.25 inches, so it's better for wide hallways than tight ones.

19.5-inch Matte Black Linen

Millennium Lighting

19.5-inch Matte Black 1-Light Linen Fabric Shade Wall Sconce

$99.90

Damp ratedHardwiredLinen shade

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The sconce is 19.5 inches by 5.5 inches and reads as a thin vertical line, perfect for tall ceilings and long blank walls. The light is softened by the linen shade. It's hardwired and damp rated.

How Far Apart to Space Hallway Sconces?

Spacing is a function of the amount of light produced by each fixture, the beam width, the ceiling height and the length of the hallway. Brighter fittings with a wider spread can be spaced further apart.

A common starting height for standard 8 to 9 foot ceilings is around 60 to 66 inches from the floor to the fixture center. Maintain that height on all sconces in the run.

In crowded halls, style is no match for projection. A fixture that is within 6 inches of the wall is less likely to be bumped into.

Best Bathroom Wall Sconces

Bathroom wall sconces sit next to a mirror, lighting your face from the sides, so the shadows cast by an overhead light below your eyes and chin are lessened. Pick glass shades that diffuse light outward, a finish that complements your faucet and a location rating that fits the space. If you want a single bar above the mirror check out the Modern Lights vanity lights collection.

Ashford Chrome

Millennium Lighting

5'' Ashford Chrome 1 Light Wall Sconce

$75.90

Damp ratedClear glassHardwired

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The Ashford combines a chrome finish with a clear glass shade, a clean match with chrome faucets and frameless mirrors. It is damp rated which is suitable for a typical bathroom wall, however damp is not wet so keep away from direct spray. This is the cheapest sconce in this guide.

Lochemeade Noble Bronze, Seeded Glass

Hunter

Lochemeade 10.25-inch 1-light Noble Bronze Wall Sconce with Seeded Glass

$99.99

Damp indoorSeeded glass4.5" wide

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The seeded glass has tiny air bubbles that add texture and the noble bronze finish gives a warm touch to stone or wood vanities. It’s 4.5 inches wide so it can stand next to slimmer mirrors. Test your chosen bulb and check the light on your face, before mounting a pair.

Matte Black/Aged Brass Cylindrical

Vinci Lighting

Matte Black/Aged Brass Cylindrical Wall Sconce Clear Glass Dimmable

$124.00

DimmableDamp and dryClear glass

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Dimmable and rated for damp and dry locations, this sconce lets you keep it bright for shaving and turn it down at night. Matte black and aged brass would pair nicely with black hardware. Before installation, make sure that your dimmer is compatible.

Mounting Sconces Beside a Bathroom Mirror

Side lighting works best at face height. Many installers use 60 to 66 inches as a starting point for bathroom sconces, and then adjust for the people who use the mirror most.

The spacing follows the mirror. Mount one sconce on either side a few inches beyond the edge of the mirror so that the shade clears the frame and the light will wash across your face. The wider the mirror the further the fixtures are pushed away from each other and the larger the shades require more space from the edge. So measure the width of the fixture before you mark the wall.

Wall Sconce FAQs