Do not let the same thing happen to you before you know the importance of having a hardware wallet, I have always known that hardware wallet is the safest but I ignored it,
Don’t get me wrong but I wouldn’t say hardware wallets are actually the safest or most secure way to save your bitcoins but rather I will broaden it as cold or offline storage is the best. Other offline storage can be the use of software wallets like electrum been set up in an airgapped device with it never coming online or interacting with the internet. This method seems more secure to some people than even hardware wallets.
Not the safest one but good option to have since we could safekeep it for any possible hackings attacks done by those criminals. If they can also afford to have one then go for it nothing wrong to have this since it could give the user a good protection compare if they use some wallets which they don't have the full control. Although it cost expensive but I think its fine if they can afford it. But if they can't release any amount for this hardware wallet since they find it expensive then Electrum is fine there are suggested by some people here.
But OP or other should remember that we are the one who can keep our wallet safe and exposing our private key is really a bad mistake done that's why he got hack so people need to be aware about such risky act then make sure that they safe their private keys away from online platforms or anything that can compromise your security. Also people could try those suggestion you post since somehow this is another option on how they can be safe and will not do the mistake done by OP.