Before buying a recorder, you need to decide whether you want plastic or wood, and, related to this, how much money you can spend. There are at least three brands of excellent plastic recorders and many more makers of good wood recorders.
Plastic recorders are far cheaper than wood recorders of comparable quality.
They are in tune, and their Baroque-style curved and narrow windways allow for tonal control. They are not heavy, and the fingerholes are spaced naturally, so they are easy on the hands. Also, the quality of individual instruments is quite consistent. Also, since the windways are rather narrow, with surfaces that won't absorb moisture, these recorders tend to clog up. Finally, plain, shiny plastic recorders are slippery for those of us with moist hands.