The Mini is 190 mm tall, and that height decides what it is for. A bollard thisshort does not light a path the way a 600 mm one does it marks an edge. Put a run of them along thelip of a garden bed, down the side of a driveway or around a deck perimeter and they show you where theground changes, with a soft pool at each fitting rather than a continuous wash. That is a genuinelyuseful job, and it is a different job from illumination.

It is rated IP54, and that is lower than most people expect outdoors

Havit rates this fitting IP54 on its data sheet, its installation instructions andits own product page. IP54 means protection against splashing water from any direction rain, sprinkleroverspray, a hose passing by. It does not mean jetting water, and it does not meanstanding water. Havit’s installation sheet is blunt about the consequence: the base platemust be fixed to concrete or a concrete pad, the fitting must not sit below ground level,and every hole including the cable entry must be siliconed, with silicone run around the fitting atground level. Skip that and the warranty is void. If the position you have in mind floods or puddles,this is the wrong fitting for it.

Two part numbers, two very different installations

This listing sells the same bollard in two supplies, and they are not interchangeable. The240 V AC version takes a 9 W E27 tri-colour globe and gives700 lm at 3000K, 720 lm at 4000K and 740 lm at 5500K it wires straight to the circuitwith an earth. The 12 V DC version takes a 5 W MR16 globe and gives270 lm, 285 lm and 300 lm across the same three colours, and it needs a suitable12 V DC LED driver. Do not connect the 12 V fitting directly to 240 V. On the lowvoltage version Havit also caps the run: no more than 25 m from the driver, with the supplywithin 5%, or the warranty is void.

Choosing the colour, and what the finish really is

• Tri-colour is set at the globe, not by an app. It leaves the factory on 3000K; tochange it you take the cover off and move the switch on the side of the globe. On this model the coveris held by two nuts and washers that come off first.
• The body is 316 stainless steel under a poly powder-coated black finish theblack is a coating, not a cheaper metal. Havit’s own clause still applies underneath: regular cleaningmaintenance is required, and tea staining is not covered by the warranty.
• The supplied globe throws 120, so the beam is set by whichever globe is in it.Not dimmable. Wire multiple fittings in parallel.
• 3 Years Replacement warranty, and an optional HV1607 spike if youwould rather push it into soil than bolt it down.

Lights For You keeps the Mini in both finishes because the black one disappears into planting indaylight, which is exactly what most people want from a marker light.

Questions

Is 190 mm tall enough to light a path?

Not really treat it as an edge marker rather than a path light. At 190 mm the 120 beam lands close to the fitting, so you get a pool at each unit rather than a continuous lit surface. If you want the path itself lit, the Maxi 600 is the same fitting at 600 mm and throws much further.

What does IP54 actually protect against?

Splashing water from any direction rain, sprinkler overspray, a hose going past. It is not rated for jets and it is not rated for immersion, so the fitting must sit above ground level on its base plate and must never be somewhere that puddles. Havit makes the concrete base and the silicone sealing a warranty condition for exactly this reason.

Can I run the 12 V version off my existing garden transformer?

Only if it genuinely supplies 12 V DC. This is the low-voltage part number and it needs a suitable 12 V DC LED driver, and it must sit within 25 metres of that driver with the voltage within 5%. Outside that allowance Havit voids the warranty, so it is worth checking the driver rating and the cable run before ordering.

How do I change the colour temperature?

Take the cover off and move the switch on the side of the globe. On this model the cover is secured by two nuts and washers, which come off first, and the globe then releases by twisting. It arrives set to 3000K, and because it is a switch rather than a wired selection you can change your mind later.

Is the black finish painted aluminium?

No. The body is 316 stainless steel with a poly powder-coated black finish over it, so the metal underneath is the same as the stainless version. That also means Havit’s stainless maintenance clause still applies, and tea staining is specifically excluded from the warranty.

Can I dim it?

No. Havit lists this fitting as not dimmable on both the data sheet and the installation instructions. It takes a replaceable globe, so the beam angle and colour rendering come from whatever globe is fitted, but the fitting itself is not built for a dimmer.

Does it have to be bolted down?

The standard installation is a base plate fixed to concrete, which is what the IP rating and the warranty assume. If you want it in a garden bed instead, Havit makes the HV1607 spike as an optional accessory for installation into ground.