Transporting patients in hospital beds is a common task in acute hospital wards. The aim of the study was to explore the influence of different bed wheel arrangements on the effort and difficulties experienced by personnel when transporting patients. Four test beds were used and tested in four common transport situations. Nineteen registered and enrolled nurses participated in the tests. The perception of effort was rated on Borg's category ratio scale, CR-10 and the perceived level of difficulty on the visual analogue scale. ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc multiple comparisons were conducted to measure which pairs of beds differed significantly. The results show that the wheel arrangements of the beds have a major influence on the effort and difficulties perceived by the personnel. Standard small diameter castor wheels made the bed easier to manoeuvre in limited spaces, while larger wheels on fixed axles made the beds more comfortable to handle during long distance transportation.