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Spinning is a very ancient craft dating back to Neolithic times and the Ancient Egyptians.  You can still see the odd Arab on guard duty at a tomb or other archaeological site busy with his spindle and a handful of fleece. It is generally accepted that the first spinning wheel was made in India sometime in the 15th Century. From illustrations  it seems that these first examples were made for spinners to sit or kneel on the floor and the wheel was turned by hand. 
Loenardo's Flyer Design Later designs incorporated a treadle and flyer which enabled the spinner to sit on a stool or chair to treadle, while the thread was fed onto the bobbin by adjustable tension.  I was delighted to read that Leonardo da Vinci had a hand in solving the problem of the flyer and thread winding which was eventually used by Arkwright 250 years later for the first multiple spinning machine. 
The design by Leonardo da Vinci included winding on to the bobbin by moving from side to side, but in 1530 some years after his death a German,  Johann Jürgen designed a similar mechanism and put a row of hooks on the flyer to ensure the even filling of the bobbin.  This design obviously caught on immediately and is still used today.  (Information from: Spinning Wheels: Ulster Museum and Whorls and Wheel : Sue Grierson).

Jürgen's Flyer Design
Vertical Spinning Wheel Spinning Wheels come in many shapes, sizes and designs.  The basic difference is in the position of the wheel and flyer, either vertically  with the wheel above the treadle and topped up with the flyer, or horizontally with the wheel side by side.  Some are on a straight table and some on a sloping one. For flax spinning you need a distaff, a small umbrella over which the flax is spread like a roof to dispense the fibre to your hand for spinning. For cotton and flax you need a little water to moisten your fingers which helps the process of the twist. You can hang a little bowl of water from the distaff if the table of the wheel is a sloping one.

 

Horizontal Spinning Wheel

Choosing a wheel is a matter of trying different ones to find the one that suits you for size, height and rhythm of treadling.  Price and size is of course also a consideration.  A chance to try different models is vital.