Help! Did I just buy the WRONG stroller?

[ciw]

Ok, so after MONTHS of lurking here, researching reviews and debating way too much, I finally purchased new strollers....and now I'm having second thoughts...Aargh!
Thanks to input from members here, I decided I needed (at least!) two strollers -- a lightweight one and an all-terrain stroller. I bought a Maclaren Triumph to fit the lightweight bill and it seems like it will fit my needs.
But I'm less confident I made the right choice for an all-terrain. I need a stroller that can handle grass and REALLY bumpy sidewalks...the sidewalks here are just awful! Since I can't jog anymore, I didn't want to in invest a ton of money in it and I thought a swivel wheel would be easier for walking. I searched every town on Craig's List within a 60-mile radius of my home for a used stroller but only found fixed-wheels. So I decided to buy a lower end model new -- which meant my choices were InSTEP, Jeep or Baby Trend. I ended up purchasing an InStep Suburban Safari but....now it's sitting unopened in my garage and I'm wondering if I should return it. (Yes, DH thinks I'm nuts!) I'm concerned because I read a posting on here from StrollerQueen saying that this stroller (which has the smaller wheels on the back) is more suited for indoor use. (I have to say that boggles my mind...Who wants a big, heavy, bulky stroller like this for indoors???) But of course that has me rethinking my decision. The InSTEP Safari with the larger back wheels is $40 more than I paid so I'm not sure that's worth it. I could buy the Baby Trend for the same price I paid...but I haven't seen many reviews. Or a friend has recently offered to sell her Jeep all terrain (but it also has the smaller back wheels and I'm concerned about the tippiness factor).
So, what do you all think? Are larger back wheels necessary? Are all three of these brands tippy or is that just a Jeep thing? Does anyone have experience with the Baby Trend all terrain? Please help!!

[SomeoneLikeYou]

I had a Jeep Overland briefly and felt it very sturdy and capable of doing the things you need it to do. We took a walk the day we got it on a very rocky beachy road and it did just great! It had a fixed front though so we sold it (we got it on craigs) and ended up with our Elite. The one we had had 3 tires of the same size (I think 16"??? maybe 12's?? I can't remember)

[arivecchi]

I had an Instep Safari double for a couple of weeks. It was pretty decent for what I paid for it. I sold it on CL because the seats were too reclined and short for my toddler. I don't know if the singles have the same issue, but overall, I thought the Instep was just fine. It was easy to assemble, super easy to push and super light.

However, if you will always keep second-guessing yourself, return it and watch for sales of other strollers you might like better. For example, I was able to get the double I really wanted (a Baby Jogger) for a really good price because I got the 2008 version. You may be able to do the same. You can also check your local CL every day to see what pops up.

P.S. The Maclaren Triumph is great! We love ours.

[strollerqueen]

Originally Posted by ciw

Ok, so after MONTHS of lurking here, researching reviews and debating way too much, I finally purchased new strollers....and now I'm having second thoughts...Aargh!
Thanks to input from members here, I decided I needed (at least!) two strollers -- a lightweight one and an all-terrain stroller. I bought a Maclaren Triumph to fit the lightweight bill and it seems like it will fit my needs.
But I'm less confident I made the right choice for an all-terrain. I need a stroller that can handle grass and REALLY bumpy sidewalks...the sidewalks here are just awful! Since I can't jog anymore, I didn't want to in invest a ton of money in it and I thought a swivel wheel would be easier for walking. I searched every town on Craig's List within a 60-mile radius of my home for a used stroller but only found fixed-wheels. So I decided to buy a lower end model new -- which meant my choices were InSTEP, Jeep or Baby Trend. I ended up purchasing an InStep Suburban Safari but....now it's sitting unopened in my garage and I'm wondering if I should return it. (Yes, DH thinks I'm nuts!) I'm concerned because I read a posting on here from StrollerQueen saying that this stroller (which has the smaller wheels on the back) is more suited for indoor use. (I have to say that boggles my mind...Who wants a big, heavy, bulky stroller like this for indoors???) But of course that has me rethinking my decision. The InSTEP Safari with the larger back wheels is $40 more than I paid so I'm not sure that's worth it. I could buy the Baby Trend for the same price I paid...but I haven't seen many reviews. Or a friend has recently offered to sell her Jeep all terrain (but it also has the smaller back wheels and I'm concerned about the tippiness factor).
So, what do you all think? Are larger back wheels necessary? Are all three of these brands tippy or is that just a Jeep thing? Does anyone have experience with the Baby Trend all terrain? Please help!!

Sorry for the confusion. What I meant was that if you are going to be using it indoors sometimes, the 12" would be better, and if your terrain is particularly rugged, the 16" would be better. But yes, you are right, neither are what you would call indoor strollers, and there are far better choices if that's what you need it for. Re: the tippiness, most 3-wheelers are less stable than 4-wheelers, by the nature of their design. The Jeep is particularly tippy, because it is very narrow. I have seen a lot of children--mine included--tip it over sideways when reaching down for a toy.