Hi Carnom,
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the Raleigh, NC area (subject to following the guidelines post #13 here) are listed in post #6 here.
Unfortunately, nobody else can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to predict which mattress would be the best “match” for for someone else based on a formula or specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” and your own personal testing or experience is the only reliable way to know which mattress is the best match for you or fits the criteria that are most important to you in terms of PPP (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
While any type of mattress may be a good match for a particular person (regardless of how others may feel about them) … as you mentioned I am not a “fan” of airbeds in general for the reasons that are mentioned in the article you read (it’s here for others that may read this post).
If you do decide that an airbed is the best choice for you … then I would make sure that it uses high quality and durable materials and at the very least I would suggest that it has a separate firmness adjustment for the middle section of the air bladder to help offset the tendency of air to sag under the heavier parts of the body (regardless of the firmness settings). There is also a list of some of the many airbed manufacturers in post #3 here that may also be helpful in comparing airbeds.
Adjustable beds can certainly be a great option to add to a sleeping system for those that either need them or that may just prefer them. There is more in post #3 here and the adjustable bed thread it links to that can help you choose an adjustable bed that has the features that are most important to you and includes some reference sources that you can use to compare prices and “value” as well.
Phoenix