[quote=“Phoenix” post=37648]Hi Dave_C,
Thanks for the update and the additional information.
A 1/4" impression isn’t significant so you were probably experiencing some uneven initial softening with the mattress breaking in in combination with the effects of a mattress that wasn’t a suitable design for you in terms of PPP.
Whoever designed the chart you posted doesn’t know a great deal about mattresses or mattress design :). The types of “generic” comparisons they are making are more misleading than helpful.
While there are always some percentage of people who will do best on any specific mattress … you can see my general thoughts about airbeds here.
If you do decide to go in airbed direction … I certainly wouldn’t be looking at Select Comfort when there are other airbed options that use better designs and materials that for most people would be much better “value” (you can see a list of many airbed manufacturers in post #3 here).
Phoenix[/quote]
The chart is from here and is supposedly based on input from thousands of people: Best Mattresses For Back Pain Relief 2018 : Sleeping Position and Firmness : Memory Foam Latex Air : Hip Shoulder Problem
The results seem to correspond almost exactly with my experience. Yes, just a sample of one, but the most important “one” to me. 
As for Select Comfort (called Sleep Number now), I am sleeping on one now that is over 15 years old and still feels brand new. By nature of its design, it has been impervious to rutting and sagging and getting soft and it has surpassed everything else I’ve owned so far in relief of my back pain, including the 5" and 10" T&N, TWO Habitat latex mattresses and one memory foam mattress.
That all said, I am psyched that you offered alternatives to Sleep Number! Thanks! I will check them out.