It’s still winter, and your hands might still be cold, so let’s talk about the 45NRTH Sturmfist 4 winter cycling glove. This is the warmest cycling glove I own, the one I go to on days when it’s below 25F.
It’s an insulated hybrid glove/mitten. You get your thumb and first two fingers free, and your ring and pinky in a mitten. It’s a partial lobster. There basically isn’t a name for the shape of it, but the bottom line is that it leaves you enough dexterity to shift your bike, and this is the real crux of the winter cycling glove issue. Mittens are warmer than gloves but not functional at all for gear shifting and brake pulling. As weird as the shape of this “glove” is, it actually makes the most sense, given the challenge of cold weather riding.
The Sturmfist 4’s insulation is Primaloft gold, 8oz. Primaloft has its own interesting history, a product created in response to the US Military’s need to keep soldiers warm without recourse to down. It’s basically a microfiber polyester that mimics down’s ability to trap heat in small pockets. It is among the best synthetic insulators on the market, and the “gold” level is their top-rated insulator.
These “gloves” also come with a merino blend liner. I actually wear the liners on their own sometimes to run in. But you can also vary the warmth of the set up by starting your ride with the liners on and then removing them from the mix as your hands warm up.
I’ve worn these skiing and winter hiking as well, for whatever that’s worth.
This pair has been going for about 5 seasons now, although mine do have a large electrical tape patch on one hand (not pictured), because I had a close encounter with chain-link fence two years ago. Even with the tape, I expect to get another 3-5 seasons out of them.
Sizing is XS-2XL and the current version comes in three colors. At $130, they ain’t cheap, but technical solutions to extreme weather challenges seldom are. As a ten-year investment in warm winter bike hands, maybe they’re in your budget after all.