I have both and I basically never use them, for those very reasons listed by you. I mostly use some big wooden discs mounted on faceplates, with either paper or non-slip mats or domed pieces of wood for the inside of bowls, and then the tailstock to hold it all in place.
It's also worth considering a set of really large wooden jaws (self-made from relatively soft wood).
One of my wooden discs has a variety of holes, so I can clamp things to the surface, which removes the need for the tailstock to hold the piece in place, but this obviously only works if you have a big enough disc AND you have a suitable surface on your work item to be clamped down.
