Riding on wet or even icy roads can be treacherous, so being completely in control of your bike is more essential than ever. Even holding on to the handlebars in the wet can be difficult, particularly if you're using smooth bar tape.
With this in mind the best winter cycling glove will have a slightly tacky surfaces on the palm to make sure you can maintain a secure grip on both the bars and the brake levers. These can vary from silicone grippers applied directly to the palm or additional textured material that can prove to be a more durable yet less flexible option.
If you feel the need to upload a gritty Instagram selfie to show your mates just how hard you are for heading out when it's blowing a gale and hammering it down with rain, then you're going to need to be able to prod away at your smartphone screen.
With this in mind some of the best winter cycling gloves now come with fingertips specially designed to be used with touchscreens.