Direct contact packed bed humidification and dehumidification (HDH) systems are economically viable methods for water treatment. The purpose of this study is to compare a new compact cylindrical crossflow direct contact packed bed condenser with a conventional rectangular condenser. The proposed compact cylindrical crossflow packed bed condenser contains a perforated tube surrounded by a packed bed and surrounded by another perforated wall allowing air flow. The packed bed fills the space between two perforated cylinders. Humidified air is introduced through a perforated tube and flows radially in a packed bed. As the liquid is sprayed from the top, it comes into direct contact with the air. A mathematical model is presented and solved numerically to predict the humidity ratio, air temperature, and liquid temperature at the outlet. Compactness, low capital cost, and ease of installation are three major advantages of this condenser configuration. A conventional crossflow packed-bed condenser is already available in the laboratory to obtain experimental data and model validation. Both cylindrical and rectangular systems are compared using the validated model. The cylindrical crossflow packed bed condenser is able to match the effectiveness of the rectangular system for the same volume of pack bed. It thus provides a new alternative to a conventional crossflow packed rectangular condenser.