Hope it’s been too long and you’ve already been jamming a dama. If you haven’t decided, pick which ever you like best. As far as “best for beginners,” that’s a double edged sword.
I always tell people to start on a normal painted tama that will be very nice and tacky once broken in. My reasoning is learning to play from slick to tacky helps you learn to balance and adjust correctly and will make you a better player. Which is what I did and am very happy.
Starting on a cushion or rubber paint will def make learning easier since it just sticks. However the drawback here is that sometimes that stick is bad. Let’s say you go for a one turn light house. The base will stick but the momentum will end up pushing the Ken over cause it to tip. So you have to adjust appropriately.
as you see there are pros and cons for both. I love both equally. I will say that I have been playing my cushion more lately. So, my opinion, get both.