I really like the Bell Laps myself but not everyone does. They are cyclocross bars, so yes, they're better for offroad use than a typical drop bar. The flared drops makes it less likely you'll smack your forearms against the tops.

From what I understand the ideal is when your hands are about shoulder width apart when you're on the hoods.

They do feel wide if you're not use to them, but even the more standard drop bar on my 2005 road bike is wider than the drop bar on my old 80's Peugeot.