Arm R Seal is great.

From the big box stores, these products will be fine:

Minwax Wipe on Poly
Watco Danish Oil.


The key to getting a flawless, non-film finish is to (IMHO) sand the top to 600 grit, then apply the product thinly with a quartered shop towel. Keep rubbing it in. If your towel is too wet, use a second towel to wipe it off.

You can do this twice a day. I promise, in about 3 days, you'll have the finish you are looking for, without streaks, film, or dust nibs. Your fingers and eyes will tell you when you have enough coats on.

People generally underestimate the benefit of sanding to 600 grit (if you have 1000, even better). If you wipe on / wipe off as above, you won't have to sand between coats. There is also a general misconception that a thin finish is not durable - or at least will not degrade gracefully. My desk at work gets a lot of abuse, and was finished as above with spar varnish (another fine choice here), and has worked out wonderfully.