Another factor that can be a great indication of product quality is the brand. Brands like Montane are of course extremely well known, especially for Christmas Gifts. If you’ve ever been on top of a mountain without gloves when the wind is howling, the rain is pouring and the mercury is dropping, you’ll know just how unpleasant it can be. And while you might have your bombproof waterproofs and rugged boots, you’re still likely to be miserable unless you invest in a decent pair of winter hiking gloves (a good winter base layer wouldn’t go amiss either!). Conductive leather panels on thumb, index and middle fingertips for use with touch sensitive screens Compared to the full range of winter hiking gloves we have on test, the Storm gloves from Rab are actually very good value. They were comfortable to wear and the level of warmth they provided was more than adequate. As they are one of the most bulky options on test, the ease with which you can carry out tasks is reduced, but not to an unacceptable level. Adjustability features such as these are great for keeping your hands nice and toasty, securing each finger in their own little sauna. Not all gloves come with both, but if you’re looking for a heavy-duty handwarmer, it pays to look for adjustability. Waterproofing

The fiddly construction of gloves like this, with waterproof membranes and insulating layers, helps explain their substantial cost. Nevertheless, if you love to spend hours outdoors whatever the weather, it's always worth taking the best pair you can afford. That’s why we’ve pulled together this list of key factors for Montane Men’s Tornado Gloves below, to help you choose if it’s the right product for you and your budget. That got us thinking though, that we’re looking at every possible item from Montane so it would be good to narrow our search down even further and only look at Montane branded products within the Christmas Gifts category. The cost of Montane Christmas GiftsThe Sub Zero gloves are impressively warm, comfortable and are insulated with Downtek water repellent down. Impressively, the gloves stood up to wet weather without any issues and the down continued to do its job. I was also pleased that gloves were really easy to pull on no matter how cold or damp my hands were.

The synthetic insulation, though, does work when wet. How warm are they? Moderately – not enough to keep you cosy in Arctic conditions. For versatility, choose a generous size, so that when it’s really freezing, you can fit an extra pair of liner gloves inside (see below). (JP)The Women's specific fit of these gloves ensures you're not left with a bad 'unisex' fit, while a pre-curved design makes gripping tools and ropes as unrestricted as possible. Lastly, touch screen compatible pads on the fingers and thumbs means you won't have to remove your gloves to use your phone or GPS in freezing environments. The large cuff with toggle offers great coverage, while a compression strap helps you achieve a good fit. While the high loft fleece interior makes the glove a dream to wear, it does make the gloves a bit of a pain to pull on when your hands are cold and damp. Apart from this, the Torres Peak gloves are a worthy investment. There are however some methods that you can use to determine a product’s quality without needing to physically have it. Gore-Tex is the most popular option, but some manufacturers have created their own materials that are just as good at keeping the wet stuff out. Insulation A cinch strap, located around the wrist and a drawcord at the hem give the majority of the adjustability from a typical winter glove.

Warm hands are good, but sweaty hands? Not so much. To prevent that, some gloves offer breathability to add ventilation. If your winter gloves are used for climbing, clambering or gripping walking poles, durability is going to be a focus to get your money’s worth. Look for tough outer fabrics such as leather and pleather, reinforced palms and rolled fingertips for the top durability. Technology The best gloves keep your hands warm and waterproof when it’s wet, but airy and breathable when it’s dry. Great to prevent the gloves-on, gloves-off dance. Durability

Sealskinz Sub Zero Glove

A Gore-Tex inner layer repels water. When dry, the touch-screen sensitive finger tips work efficiently; but they don’t perform so well when wet. The Guide gloves aren’t that bulky, yet they are still incredibly warm. There’s a great amount of dexterity, so carrying out tasks is no trouble at all, and they stood up to the elements perfectly, keeping our hands warm and dry in periods of bad weather. We also found the gloves quite easy to pull on with cold and rain-soaked hands, with a loop at the opening helping. The fit is without a doubt the most important aspect of a pair of gloves with most good-quality items offering S-XL sizing. The cuff isn’t as long as many other winter hiking gloves on test so the coverage isn’t quite as comprehensive, but it’s more than adequate. We felt that a few of the others on test offered a more comfortable experience, but we had no issues with wind and water protection. It’s not too hard to squeeze them on when you have cold hands either. Plus, they work with smartphone screens…