Hi tsabes38,
You are certainly correct that I’m not a fan or airbeds (see this article) although there are always some people who may legitimately prefer them over other types of mattresses in spite of their weaknesses.
If you do decide to consider an airbed then post #3 here includes a list of many airbed manufacturers that may be worth considering rather than only looking at Sleep Number (I would tend to avoid the major manufacturers with any mattress purchase).
Latex is generally the most breathable and “coolest” of all the foam materials (polyfoam, memory foam, and latex foam) but there are also many other variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress besides just the foam used (see post #2 here). None of the foam types will be as breathable or temperature regulating as natural fibers.
The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Chicagoland area are in posts #2 and #4 here.
Phoenix