I've been commuting with Brooks handlebar tape for 20 months now, and they have done fine through two winters and a lot of rain. They even survived with only a scuff when I knocked over my bike on concrete. Regular bar tape would have ripped.

Yeah, they cost $60 (they were a gift for me), but they will likely outlast $60 worth of standard tape, which I would have had to replace multiple times. Plus, they look and feel better. Same or lower price over time. Look better. Feel better. Win-win-win.

I sometimes rub a little Proofide on them, but that's it.