I guess I’ll “beat the dead horse”, like most everyone has said it definitely “depends”. I cant stress enough the need to find demos taking place to enable you to try various models with various sizes, drivetrains. Or rent a bike from your LBS and see what works for you. I’m 5’8 about 29-30 inseam. I live in North Alabama, my local trails are all mostly rocks and roots throughout. I’d consider my riding type Trail orientated, intermediate to technical. I’m more comfortable on a 29er by far. But I’ve also been on 29ers I hated. So taking some test rides on actual trails you will be riding is the best thing a person can do. The one time I didn’t demo I went solely on reviews and opinions and it came back to bite me hard. Last year I bought a Stache 9.6 solely on word of mouth. went carbon frame and 1x drivetrain and for 6 months I tried to like the bike and despised it. I missed the way aluminum felt, I missed shimano components, I missed 2x drivetrain, I missed 130mm of travel, I missed smaller 29er tires/wheels, etc etc.
I spent 3k on what to most everyone else was an awesome trail weapon and I’m sure it is but it definitely was not for me. I sold it and tried to go back to the last bike I loved (aluminum SC Tallboy LT) but its no longer made and has become the Hightower. Went to demo a Hightower but realized its only available in carbon and I knew I wanted to go back to aluminum. I demoed and rented a few other bikes about a month until I finally found the one (again). Trek Fuel EX 8 XT. It checked every single box for me on paper (Shimano components, trail bike, 2×11 drivetrain, 130mm suspension, its aluminum). It had all the things I knew I already preferred and all I had to do was test it out, and it was perfect. I’d still say my old Tallboy LT beats it by a slim margin but the Tallboy LT was also $2k more than my new Fuel and I’m more than happy with it and can probably still tweak it some. All I know is the smile of riding came back after 6 months of suffering on the Stache and I’m one happy camper.
With the cost of these bikes it really makes sense to demo both drivetrains, both sizes, etc etc or you may buy something you end up putting on craigslist shortly there after.