The best wall sconces

Wall sconces are bought almost entirely on appearance, and that is a perfectly sound way to choose one - a sconce is a piece of wall decoration that happens to emit light. This site has no standing to rank one shape against another on looks.

What decides the light is the bulb, and the style of sconce decides which bulb it can take. So the practical route is to choose the sconce you like, identify its socket, and then choose the bulb on the published numbers.

Philips Ultra Definition A19 - for standard-socket sconces. 800 lumens at 2700K with CRI 95. Most shaded sconces take an E26, and this is the best color rendering on the site in that base.
Cons: too large for small or globe sconces, and not enclosed-rated.

KGC milky glass G25 - for globe sconces. CRI 90+ at 2700K behind milky glass. A globe sconce shows its bulb, and a frosted one diffuses the source so the sconce glows rather than glares.
Cons: no lumen figure published, only an equivalence.

Satco B11 candelabra, 90 CRI - for candle-style sconces. 500 lumens at 2700K with a published 90 CRI, which is rare in a candelabra bulb.
Cons: enclosed suitability not stated.

Luxrite E12 - for enclosed or outdoor candle sconces. 500 lumens, dimmable, rated for enclosed fixtures and wet locations.
Cons: no published CRI.

Height: the usual guidance puts the sconce around 60 to 72 inches from the floor, so the source sits just above eye level. Too low and you look straight into the bulb; too high and a down-light sconce lights the ceiling instead of the space. Beside a bed, check it from a seated position - the principle is in glare and visual comfort.

Pairs beat singles. Flanking a mirror, a bed or a doorway, two sconces balance each other and cancel shadows. One on its own looks accidental and lights half of whatever it is beside.

In hallways, space for overlap. Roughly 8 to 10 feet apart lets the pools meet, so the corridor reads as evenly lit rather than as a row of bright spots - see hallway lighting.

Hardwired means permission. Fitting a hardwired sconce is electrical work - an electrician, and permission if you rent. Where that is not possible, the same light comes from a plug-in sconce or a rechargeable one.