Not to confuse you even more, but don't rule out 27.5 inch wheels either. A few companies--Jamis most readily comes to mind--are adding 650b wheels to their mtb mix. The marketing at least suggests that they might be a good compromise for shorter riders.

I, myself, have only ridden 26ers. While I've been curious about 29ers, for now, I'm happy with my 26er. My husband, however, loves his 29er. A others have suggested, just demo all that you can.