Hardware wallet, it gives unparalleled peace of mind compared to software wallets. But then again, it will take away 1 part of your holding if you were to buy it right now. So stick to software wallet like
muun for time being, once savings are grown enough, purchase HW.
This is another important thing that for most people software wallets may fulfill the purpose as they do not have a lot of funds.
Let's suppose you are a beginner and newbie in a Bitcoin world, there is no need to possess a hardware wallet right from day 1. Better get an understanding of different wallets and you will be able to choose the right one according to your needs.
You are correct that you do not need a hardware wallet to hold BTC offline and securely, but hardware wallets is easier for newbies to use, they can learn how to create their own air-gapped wallet or use paper wallet, but there is a possibility that they will make a mistake and set it up or use it in an unsafe enviroment.
First of all, whether you use hardware, software, air-gapped or whatever wallet, you need to have an understanding of it completely. When you say that hardware wallets are easy to use for newbies, the newbies must know how to use a hardware wallet and how to keep it secure. Lack of knowledge can still result in loss of funds even if a person has a hardware wallet.