Hi Hammer.
Sorry that the Avocado is not a good match for your wife, but I am glad that you had such a positive experience with it at least you know what “your best” is. While Avocado uses good componentry it does not offer fine tuning adjusting options except for adding the pillow top so it is a bit of hit or miss in terms of matching the individual needs and preferences of any particular person. While it has not been discussed extensively on our side you can read a few comments in Post #2 here
Your contribution could be a perfect “mattress case study” for couples with different needs and preferences and I am sure that many of our visitors would find this real life example very instructive.(Feel free to include the complete set of specs either from the above link or AG) Other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can be very helpful and while I always encourage our members to share their experiences with a particular company or mattress, I make sure to point out that any such experiences are very subjective and that they are not a measure of suitability for anyone else but the “reviewer” themselves… because (as you already discovered) a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on.
I’m probably not the best source for airbed information because I am not a fan of airbeds as you can see in this article but post #3 here includes some of the airbed manufacturers that you may be interested in including in your research. This mattress has thermopolyurethane (TPU with) 6 air chambers (3 on each side of the bed) within a foam perimeter which offer some adjusting capabilities. While there aren’t any comments of feedback on the forum about the Night Air ultra-airbed they have a separate air chamber under the lumbar/pelvis area which can help offset any sagging in the middle of an airbed which can be a fairly common experience with airbeds … especially with softer settings. If you are set on the path of getting an air bed, Richmond Bedding, one of our trusted and expert members is offering quality alternatives to sleep number beds, so they’d be best to approach for some comparisons and guidance.
Just like with any mattress … you need to get the specific details. This means comparing the details between the air bladders and then especially comparing the details of the foams they use in the comfort layers (which will tend to be the weak link of a mattress).
Better manufacturers will always tell you the density of any memory foam or polyfoam they use and the type and blend of any latex. If they either can’t or won’t provide this information … you would be making a blind purchase with no way to know the quality or value of your purchase (at least as far as the comfort layers go) and I would tend to bypass them. I would also compare air bladder types, pumps, design and even the concept itself of why airbeds may work (or not) for your wife and the value of any zoning in the mattress (such as the ability to make the middle firmer) as well as the type of cover they use (which can be a significant part of the cost and contribute to temperature regulation) before you decide on what I consider to be a risky proposition.
If your wife is committed to an airbed and she convinced that there are no other types of mattresses that will meet her criteria then make sure to have a look at the other airbed options available to you that are listed above that may be worth researching and comparing
I look forward to your “case study” and your experience with AG and also to find out what where your aibed research lead you.
Phoenix.