Like others have said, check out carbon steel. It might offer the right compromise to satisfy everyone.

I also own a “LiFe pan.” lightweight cast iron - the name is a pun. Picked it up on a whim at Home Goods years ago, because I was curious about it.

www.amazon.com/iko-lightweight-stainless-vegetable-pre-seasoned/dp/b01lonjtps

It’s now one of my favorite pans. Seasons just like cast iron, and has built up a really nice polymerized coating over the years.

They’ve never been popular, so I don’t know how easy it would be to find one.

I’ve seen two kinds of lightweight cast iron: Standard, or with a non-stick coating. Do not get coated ones. If you try it, get the standard.