I like Lloyd the best. There is less wasted film due to the shorter film path. Plus, I like the mechanical simplicity of the Lloyd unit. However, with the Lloyd design there is risk of scratches if you get dust on the felt trap.
Next best, in my opinion, is Alden. Other designs also work.
Watson is OK but not as nice as some of the others. I think it is flimsier, and tends to waste more film than the others because the light path is longest. (You can overcome the light path objections by doing most of the operations in the dark.)
The old bakelite unit (Prinz I think) is also OK... maybe a little nicer than Watson because the it seems more sturdy, and I think the light path is a little shorter. Don't quote me on that however.
There is also a square unit with a felt-less light trap. I don't remember the name of it. I have one, but have not used it, so I can't comment on the details.
You can actually do the loading without a bulk loader. A number of people have described how to do it. However, a bulk loader is somewhat of a convenience.
By the way, in my experience the frame counters that are in some loaders are relatively useless. Counting turns works as well, once you get the number of turns calibrated to the number of shots on a roll.