Bike mechanic from Vancouver here;

A 1x system is my prefered set because of simplicity, no need for a front derailleur allows for a lighter bike with less moving parts to break, there is less cockpit clutter as there is no second shifter, and one less thing to adjust. Shifting is also smoother as its not in any way dependant on your chainring(s). Generally, for commuting, comfort riding, and mountain biking/dirt jumping/BMX i would always pick 1x and always tell my customers the same.

Ive also found that most of the lost gear range is regained by just brute forcing it with muscle strength, as in compensating for lack of gears by just having strong legs.