I have to admit - I'm the guy who made his wife and kids hold the pencil through the spool of line, while I kept tension on the line with one hand and reeled in with the other. Yes, it works, but is it the best way?
Having now put line on 3 reels, I can tell you, without a doubt, that no, the "pencil technique" is NOT the best way! This Plusinno line spooler IS the best way! I would consider this a "luxury" item since it is designed to simply make life easier for you. Set up took me about 2-3 minutes based on a simple picture of the item and the instructions. It connects up easier than my kids' last lego project and is very compact and handy. I've so far attached this to an ironing board, my kitchen counter (pictured) and my dining room table. The best surface is a solid surface. The ironing board was not ideal. Basically - it can be attached pretty much anywhere. The clamping system allows for a pretty large surface - maybe 4-5". Once clamped down, it's very secure. Broken down, it can be folded up to a very compact size as well. (see pic)
Once together, you put your spool of line on, screw down the spool holder and adjust the star shaped knob on the right side (drag style similar to a casting reel) of the spooler for proper tension, so you get your line set correctly on the reel. Then simply tie the line on to your reel and spin your reel knob until you have the correct amount of line on.
I even had my 7 year old do it on a second reel after he watched me set up the first. It was very simple for him to do as well.
The only drawback is that I didn't have something like this 25 years ago!!!