Wrong. If you are storing more than a few thousand dollars in crypto assets, they are definitely the smartest way to keep your keys safe.

A hardware wallet simply stores your private keys on a secure hardware device. Unless you are keeping the only copy of your private key on a piece of paper. Nothing is more secure.

The whole point is the private keys don't leave the device.

They are immune to viruses or anything along those lines. The keys can not be removed from the secure element. Even if you use a paper wallet to keep your private keys, you have to import them into software at some point.

Even if you break your hardware wallet, and you have the key phrase you are completely secure. You lost your money because you failed to have a recovery method. Keeping your BTC on your offline computer

They are not a scam...