I hand quilt most of my quilts and I used to use the large oval hoop then I went to the PVC square because it is so much quicker to move from are to area and now unless it's a small project I use the larger PVC frame. It is so nice to move it quickly and it's up off my body so it isn't as hot to quilt. I also quilt most of my larger quilts in sections so I am not juggling lots of fabric. It also fold up completely flat if you need to take it down and you can leave the quilt in it, if you like.
You need your fabric with slack but not too loose. It really comes down to what is comfortable for you. I've seen some wonderful quilts done by the stab method and no frame at all.I don't use a frame around the edges, I lay it on a table and quilt it. I used to have a large frame and it was nice to quilt on but a pain to move the fabric. It was an older one and you had to pin the edges of the quilt to a piece of fabric on each side. By the time I move it to a new area I was ready for a break plus it took up a lot of space. If you can long arm , you can hand quilt, it just takes lots longer to do it.